There's a "Highly Exciting" Update For 'Star Wars' Legends Fans

During the 2020 Disney Investor Day event, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy confirmed a number of Star Wars projects, including nearly a dozen Disney+ Original series and the next Star Wars feature film, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984, I Am the Night).

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Getting the film — Disney’s first Star Wars movie project since the divisive sequel trilogy ended with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — off the ground, however, has seemingly been a challenge.

Despite tapping comedic writer Matthew Robinson, best known for working on The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais, Rogue Squadron was removed from Lucasfilm’s production schedule in November 2021. Then, however, the movie was almost immediately re-added and its December 2023 release date has not been officially changed at this time.

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Now, a surprising update about the movie has been revealed. At Galaxy Con, Star Wars fan Brad spoke to author Michael Stackpole, who is known for the “Rogue Squadron” novels in the 1990s. The books were de-canonized when The Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, so this is the first time they have a chance to join Disney’s existing canon in any capacity.

Brad took to Twitter to share:

Not every day you get to chat with one of your favorite #StarWars authors. Great meeting Michael Stackpole who told me he was highly excited about the upcoming #RogueSquadron movie and assured me Patty Jenkins had been in contact with him early on. #GalaxyCon @ScarifPodcast

Not every day you get to chat with one of your favorite #StarWars authors. Great meeting Michael Stackpole who told me he was highly excited about the upcoming #RogueSquadron movie and assured me Patty Jenkins had been in contact with him early on. #GalaxyCon @ScarifPodcast pic.twitter.com/x2EKk7JzYg

— just brad (@Jedi4Liberty) March 19, 2022

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It is news to fans that Stackpole has any involvement — even minor involvement — in the upcoming Rogue Squadron film. The daughter of a fighter pilot father, Jenkins has previously shared she wants to make “the greatest fighter pilot movie of all time.”

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Although little is known about the movie at this time, Jenkins has confirmed it will feature “a new cast of characters” based loosely on the popular “Rogue Squadron” novels and LucasArts games and actor Chris Pine, who worked with Jenkins on the I Am the Night miniseries about the iconic Black Dahlia murders, has confirmed that the Rogue Squadron script is “really, really great.”

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As for how much Stackpole’s novel series will influence the next Star Wars movie, Jenkins previously told IGN:

“We’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”

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The 1998 Nintendo 64 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron game, in particular, has a cult following. Wookieepedia shares these details about the plot:

The story is set between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, beginning six months after the Battle of Yavin (with the exception of the final and secret levels), and shows the missions set during the formation of Rogue Squadron, led by Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles.

Do you hope Michael Stackpole plays a key role in Rogue Squadron production?