Though a lot of Star Wars fans do appreciate and defend the movie, just as many feel that Rogue One missed the mark - though taking the turbulent (to put it mildly) production into account, it probably turned out a lot better than it had any right to be.
Helmed by Godzilla director Gareth Edwards, the first Star Wars Story famously underwent extensive reshoots, with Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy enlisted to handle the additional photography and make some alterations to Gary Whitta’s script.
Given the amount of footage that was shot that didn't end up in the theatrical release, fans have often wondered if we could see an extended or alternate cut of the movie some day, but Gilroy is adamant that it's never going to happen!
“Uh, no. That was the absolute best possible version you could ever have. Oh my God. No. No.”
“I’m not going to go into any more detail,” Gilroy tells The Hollywood Reporter when pressed for more info. “But the more authority that you hear people talk about online about what happened on that movie, the less they know. That’s all that needs to be said. Maybe someday … but no. That’s the absolute best version of that movie that you could possibly imagine in the time that was given.”
So, there you have it!
Again, Rogue One may not have been perfect, but we should probably be grateful that the movie even proved to be watchable after all the behind-the-scenes turmoil.
Gilroy is currently developing the second (and final) season of Andor, which is set to hit Disney+ next year. He recently came under fire from a fellow Writers Guild member for continuing to work on the series after the WGA strike got underway, but has now told THR that he has "discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1."
"After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions.”