Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is considered a high point for the franchise following Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012. The film grossed over $1 billion worldwide and launched the critically acclaimed prequel series Andor on Disney+.
The road to it has become a topic Star Wars legend, with stories of reshoots and creative revisions well documented in the press. But according to director Gareth Edwards, “there are so many inaccuracies circulating” about the making of the film.
In June 2016, Lucasfilm hired Oscar-nominated writer Tony Gilroy to join the film Villain One team. Reports emerged that his influence was so great that he was considered the film’s ghost director, overseeing shooting and post-production.
Edwards, who retained sole director credit, is now back The creator, a well-known science fiction film. In an interview with Kim Masters for KCRW‘S Company, he provided some of his most extensive reflections on the Rogue One situation to date. In particular, he opposed the story surrounding the conflicts on set.
“There’s so much inaccuracy in the stuff out there about what happened in that movie,” Edwards said. “Tony came in and he certainly did a lot of good work. No doubt about that. But we all worked together until the last minute of that movie.
Villain One included five weeks of reshoots, and Edwards noted that he was there the entire time.
“The very last thing we filmed on the pickup shoot was Darth Vader’s hallway scene,” Edwards said of a signature scene near the end of the film. “I’ve done all those things.”
Ultimately, Edwards said he wouldn’t speak ill of an experience like directing a movie Star Wars movie.
“Someone who gets the chance to… Star Wars movie and then starts complaining about it, I don’t think many people have that much empathy for people like that. I really don’t want to be them. It was a dream come true. I’m proud of the film we all made,” said Edwards. “What’s in Fight Club stays in Fight Club. That’s how it is. I just want to sound grateful for what happened and not talk negatively about anything.”
The creator puts Edwards back in the Disney fold, as the company’s 20the Century Studios is releasing it. The budgeted $80 million is expected to generate about $14 million domestically this weekend.
Gilroy is also still part of Disney, as the creator of the Villain One precursor Andor.
Gilroy spoke candidly about his experiences during a 2018 appearance on the podcast The moment with Brian Koppelman.
“I’ve never been interested in it Star Warss, ever. So I had no respect for it whatsoever. I wasn’t afraid of that,” Gilroy said. “And they were in such a quagmire… they were in so much terrible, terrible trouble that all you could do was improve their position.”
