Yesterday, a number of media outlets reported that Disney executives were 'unhappy with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'. The Hollywood Reporter has today elaborated on the main reasons behind the executive's decision to re-shoot sequences in the movie.
According to a source of The Hollywood Reporter, Disney executives felt the tone of Rogue One failed to match the tone of other Star Wars films that came before it. The source stated:
"This is the closest thing to a prequel ever. 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!"
There are two interesting things to pick up about this quotation. Firstly, it is intriguing to see that the movie will end just ten minutes prior to the opening of A New Hope. This means we could see appearances of the Tantive IV, Princess Leia and undoubtedly Darth Vader.
Secondly, this quote reveals that executives are unhappy with the 'tone' of the movie. Undoubtedly, the Rogue One teaser trailer conveyed an explicit tonal shift from any Star Wars movies that came before it. The settings in the trailer looked grittier and the tone seemed darker. In spite of this, there were plenty of signifiers in the trailer to remind the audience that this was a 'Star Wars' film. The re-introduction of Mon Mothma's character, the re-appearance of the Death Star and the echoing sounds of the Death Star alarms, all served to remind audience members that this was Star Wars in the age of the Empire. The central focus of the film has been directed towards the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire, as the Rebels attempt to acquire the secret Death Star plans. Surely, this film should be darker in tone?
I believe this news can be taken in two ways. Some fans will no doubt be content to hear of the intervention by Disney executives because it shows that Disney will not be afraid to step in if they feel that there is something inherently flawed within the original cut. It conveys that the executives are not idle passerbys. On the other hand, some fans will be concerned about the intervention. The motivations of Disney executives do not match the motives of writers and directors. Some reporters have argued that the executives are far more interested in financial profit than ensuring the 'story' of the films stay true to the mythology of Star Wars. Given The Force Awakens has become the third highest grossing film of all time, some fans fear that the Star Wars franchise will slowly become a mere 'cash cow' for Disney executives.
We will have to wait and see on whether the decision to reshoot additional scenes pays off. The results of the intercession of the executives may well be seen as early as July, as speculation mounts about the possible release of a new Rogue One trailer at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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