2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story concluded on a famously dark note that saw its Rebel heroes follow through on their shared commitment to give their lives to the cause. But if the movie had stuck with the trajectory proposed in an early script, then things could’ve ended on a much cheerier note.
Speaking on the Cult Popture podcast, writer Chris Weitz recalled how a draft from writer Gary Whitta concluded the story with a wedding:
“The version prior to [mine] didn’t have everyone die. As a matter of fact, it ended with a wedding. I think it was on the presumption that Disney wouldn’t allow characters to die with such abandon.”
As we now know, the Mouse House was happy to give the go-ahead to killing off the entire central cast, and if you ask Weitz, the sad fate of our heroes was true to the spirit of the film:
“I felt it was necessary because nobody ever mentions them or sees them again. But also because we’ve done this whole sort of theme about sacrifice that it was appropriate that all of our main characters die.”
Once the script passed from Whitta to Weitz, the story of Rogue One underwent plenty more changes, and was ultimately the subject of some heavy reshoots from Tony Gilroy. At an event last October, the filmmaker recalled how the production was “in such a swamp” when he stepped in, adding that “they were in so much terrible, terrible trouble that all you could do was improve their position.”
Despite the rocky journey taken by Rogue One, the movie still proved to be a box office smash, which is more than you can say for the similarly troubled Solo. In fact, the film has apparently done well enough to land its very own prequel series. Though details on the Disney Plus show remain vague, it’s known that Diego Luna will be reprising his role as intelligence officer Cassian Andor for what’s thought to be a spy thriller set in the early years of the Rebellion.
There’ll be time for further info once the show goes into production later this year. But while we wait for Cassian’s return, we’ll see if Star Wars: Episode IX can top the central character kill count of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story when it arrives in theaters on December 20th.
