Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyunderwent significant reshoots that we are only just scratching the surface of nine years later. Based on the directorial credit for theStar Warsmovie, Gareth Edwards helmedRogue One. However, even back when the movie was being produced in 2015, whispers of unrest among the crew were heard. Despite that,Rogue Onewas released to strong reactions from critics and fans alike, now being regarded as one of thebestStar Warsmoviesunder Disney’s watch.
In the years sinceRogue One’s release, there have been numerous inquiries into what exactly happened on the production. Tony Gilroy, the showrunner ofStar Wars’best TV show,Andor, was reportedly hired for extensive reshoots that altered enough of the story to warrant him receiving a co-screenwriting credit. Still, what exactly went down on the set ofRogue Oneremained somewhat of a mystery. That is until nine years later in 2025, when the release ofAndorseason 2saw Gilroy become more candid aboutRogue One’s production than ever before.
Tony Gilroy Just Revealed What A Mess Rogue One Really Was
Rogue One Was In A Sorry State
In May 2025, shortly afterAndorseason 2’s ending, Tony Gilroy finally spoke out aboutRogue One. Gilroy was asked about how most filmmakers involved in the 2016 project remain mute about what exactly the film’s issues were, and why theAndorshowrunner was asked to extensively change the story in the reshoots. Due to almost a decade of silence on the matter, no one truly knew the extent of the reshoots until Gilroy commented on exactly this.
According to Gilroy,Rogue Onewas in a much more dire state than many first assumed. When asked about the project, Gilroy stated“Rogue [One] it was like, ‘There’s a corpse on the table, what are you gonna do? Could someone come in and save it?'“Although this comment is still vague regarding the intricate details of the movie that needed changing, Gilroy likening it to a corpse indicates that there was a lot that was going wrong withRogue One’s original cut. In the nine years since the film’s release, this is undoubtedly the most frank anyone involved with Lucasfilm has been about the reshoots.
In a recent interview withCollider, Gilroy indicated a different wayRogue Onewas changed with the reshoots and restructuring. One of the reveals aboutRogue One’s initial draft was that Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso had a more overtly romantic relationship, with the two sharing a kiss before their demise at the hands of the Death Star. Gilroy revealed that this was changed during his tinkering with the film:
“I knew very well what had happened with Jyn and Cassian in Rogue One and what had happened in the elevator. I knew that scene very, very well. I probably went back and looked at that. I was pleased to see that my memory of it was of all the other takes and other things, and I was really pleased to see how we’d edited that, that it was really ambiguous about what it was…”
Evidently, Gilroy altered things so that Cassian and Jyn’s relationship was more ambiguous. This supports his comments about the stateRogue Onewas in as it implies an entire subplot was part of the movie that was removed in the final cut.
Rogue One,as it is now, features little to no hints of an underlying romantic connection between Cassian and Jyn. The two share a few longing looks in the aforementioned elevator, but there is nothing beyond that; Gilroy removed an entire romantic subplot from the film, indicating just how much the original plan either did not work or just how much needed to be changed in reshoots. If the filmmaker thought this aspect did not work, he certainly thought about others, explaining his need to come in and save the"corpse"of a movie.
What Initially Went Wrong With Rogue One?
We Still Don’t Truly Know
As I have already alluded to, it remains frustrating that we still do not truly know exactly what went wrong withRogue One. The above comments from Gilroy are the most blunt anyone has been about it since 2016, but the more thorough details remain entirely in the dark. It has since been confirmed that Gilroy seemingly restructured a lot of the film’s third act, which resulted in allRogue One’s main charactersdying. Similarly, the final scene involving Darth Vader cutting down Rebellion soldiers was the last sequence that was shot for the reshoots.
Beyond that, the information provided about whatRogue One’s initial issues were remains frustratingly thin. In 2023 (viaVariety), Gareth Edwards debunked claims that he was sidelined during the reshoots, stating that he and Gilroy worked closely with one another throughout. As a result of this lack of concrete information, much speculation aboutRogue One’s original production timeline remains exactly that: speculation.
That said, this speculation can be rooted in some evidence. After all, Disney’sStar Warsmovies have been no stranger to tumultuous productions. Of the five movies constructed under Disney’s watch, only two of them are without backstage production issues:Star Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Last Jedi.Solo: A Star Wars Storysaw its original directing pair removed midway through production, again leading to extensive reshoots by Ron Howard that ballooned the budgetand rendered the filmStar Wars' biggest box office flop.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerthen became somewhat of a rushed production, with original writer and director Colin Trevorrow replaced by JJ Abrams. This led the film to become a mash-up ofStar Wars' greatest hits and course corrections from the divisiveStar Wars: The Last Jedi.Therefore, while we do not know what went wrong withRogue Onespecifically, it is the sad reality that this film’s troubled production was just the first of many.
Star Wars DOES Seem To Have Learned A Lesson
The Franchise Is On A More Positive Trajectory
With all of these production issues in mind, it is worth noting thatStar Warsseems to have learned the right lessons from the likes ofRogue One. There are severalupcomingStar Warsmoviesin development, the most immediate beingThe Mandalorian and Grogu. Thankfully, this production can only be described in one word after multiple difficult theatrical endeavors in the late-2010s: smooth. Writer-director Jon Favreau had the idea for the script as soon asThe Mandalorianseason 3 aired on Disney+ in 2023, leading the film to be greenlit in January 2024.
Filming then began in June 2024 and wrapped six months later in December. This gaveThe Mandalorian and Grogua full 18 months to focus on post-production to meet a release date of May 23, 2025. There has not been a single report or rumor of onset issues with the movie, which certainly comes as a welcome surprise. Hopefully, this is a strong indicator thatThe Mandalorian and Groguhas avoidedRogue One’s worst issues, whatever they may have been.
