The story that bummed me out most in entertainment yesterday was the news of reshoots on the first Star Wars Spin-Off film, Rogue One. Today, we’ve got some details as to why those reshoots are happening, and it only serves to bum me out even more.
One of the things that I loved about the first trailer for the film was that it felt different than a traditional Star Wars film. It had more grit and it felt a little more war like.
As it happens, the executives felt the same as me, but just not a good way. According to THR, the Disney execs who screened the film felt that it was ” tonally off with what a “classic” Star Wars movie should feel like. The pic has not yet been tested before audiences, but one source describes the cut as having the feel of a war movie.
In what sounds like studio notes from Warner Bros on Suicide Squad, after the release of BvS: “The goal of the reshoots will be to lighten the mood, bring some levity into the story and restore a sense of fun to the adventure.”
As we already know, the film tells the tale of who the rebels stole the plans to the Death Star and got them to Princess Leia.
“This is the closest thing to a prequel ever,” a source tells THR. “This takes place just before A New Hope and leads up to the 10 minutes before that classic film begins. You have to match the tone!”
Personally, I’d like to call BS on that. In the same way that a story’s tone can change from act to act, it makes total sense that a series of films can shift in tone from episode to episode.
Also, in what sounds like a really stupid move that could only be recommended from a suit, it looks like they will probably take this opportunity to shoehorn in an appearance of the newly cast Alden Ehrenreich, as a younger Han Solo.
On that, I have to call double BS. If this movie takes place so close to A New Hope that it ends 10 minutes before the next film begins, why would you bring in a younger actor and try to pass him off as a character that appears just a few scenes into the next movie?
In general, reports are that the film is solid as is, but that solid won’t do. One studio insider is quoted as saying: ““Anything less than extraordinary won’t do.” That’s extremely problematic, especially when your definition of extraordinary is something that could mimic the success of the last film.