Entertainment Weekly got to the bottom of what’s really happening with the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story reshoots.
There have been reports regarding the impending Rogue One: A Star Wars Story reshoots that Disney was unhappy with audience testing for the first cut of the film, and that the reshoots were ordered by Disney executives to bring “levity.” Reports also claimed Disney wanted Rogue One to be less of a war movie and foster more of a “classic” Star Wars aesthetic.
Entertainment Weekly finally got to the bottom of these disturbing reports, only to find the only true part of the story is reshoots are indeed happening this summer. But Disney executives are not “worried,” and lightening the tone of the film is not a goal of the extra shoots. The reshoots are simply a part of the filmmaking process, and one which had been scheduled from the very beginning of production.
The extensive reshoots which would be required to change the tone of the film is simply unfounded given the current evidence, according to one of EW’s sources.
"“If we were rewriting the movie and reshooting 40 percent of movie, we would not be finishing in August,” a source on the production says. “People really would be panicking – and changing the release date.”"
Instead, Rogue One is staying a sobering war movie.
"“The movie is very different than [The Force Awakens], and that’s intentional,” one source says. “It’s a war film.”"
Rather than making those huge changes, the reshoots will focus on character development and “take place within scenes we’ve already shot,” per one of EW’s sources.
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As to the claim Disney executives are meddling in the process, one source said the filmmakers were glad the former were allowing them to “alter the schedule” to accomplish what they needed to finish the film. Furthermore, the only people outside of Lucasfilm who have seen Rogue One are CEO Bob Iger and studio chief Alan Horn. “There have been no test screenings,” said EW, “and it’s unlikely there ever will be on a Star Wars film.”
The panic surrounding the Rogue One reshoots has been the wildest I’ve seen with regard to false reports. Crazy rumors always abound regarding story and characters, but seeing them for the filmmaking process seems ridiculous because it’s one thing official sources can usually comment on. Instead of reporting as fact claims from questionable origins, journalism outlets could have reached out to Lucasfilm or Disney to verify, as EW did. It’s an important reminder to take every Star Wars rumor and report with a grain of sand until it is confirmed by official sources.
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At last, the fear Rogue One is being lightened up into a joyride can be put to rest. It started as a war movie, and it’s staying that way.