Disney execs in a panic over next Star Wars film

THE first Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is in crisis, and the movie will have to go into expensive reshoots, according to reports.

THE first Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is in crisis, and the movie will have to go into expensive reshoots over the summer.

The much-anticipated Rogue One is due for release on Dec. 16, but sources have confirmed to Page Six that bosses at Disney are not fully satisfied with the first cut from director Gareth Edwards.

One Hollywood source told Page Six, “The execs at Disney are not happy with the movie, and Rogue One will have to go back into four weeks of expensive reshoots in July.”

Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn in a scene from the film. Picture: Lucasfilm

The movie stars Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and Diego Luna. The Star Wars franchise’s first spin-off film will take us back in time to a point between Episodes III and IV. The plot reportedly sees resistance fighters embark on a daring mission to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor’s cruel rule.

There has been much speculation that the movie will take a darker turn and Darth Vader will appear as the Emperor’s chief enforcer. It is also believed that a young Han Solo will make a cameo appearance. Page Six exclusively revealed earlier this month that Alden Ehrenreich has landed the coveted part to play the young Solo, a role made famous by Harrison Ford.

A scene from the trailer.

It was announced earlier this month that Edwards would not direct Godzilla 2 later this year, and would instead “focus on smaller films.” But the movie insider told Page Six, “Gareth’s work on the first Godzilla [which came out in 2014] shows he can handle a big studio blockbuster. But Rogue One has fallen short of what J.J. Abrams did with Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. So Disney has ordered reshoots.”

Edwards is well-known as a risk-taking director, but has also been reported to prefer to keep studio influence at a minimum. The source added, “Disney won’t take a back seat, and is demanding changes, as the movie isn’t testing well.”

Reps for Edwards didn’t get back to Page Six.

Felicity Jones and Diego Luna in the film, a spin-off from the main Star Wars franchise. Picture: Lucasfilm

A Disney source added, “The filmmaking team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be, and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting. Coming off The Force Awakens, there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and is republished here with permission.