Credit: LucasfilmEvery film that has ever been created deals with plenty of footage that hits the cutting room floor and is never seen again. There are things like director’s cuts that add previously unseen deleted scenes and footage, though that is not a common occurrence for most blockbuster films. Fans have been lobbying for the alternate version of Rogue One to be released, though writer Tony Gilroy has his own ideas about the film.
Rogue One exploded onto the world in 2014 and has since inserted itself into the pantheon of the best Star Wars films ever made. In fact, we believe that it single-handedly saved the franchise, considering how messy the sequel trilogy was. The film was also instrumental in showcasing how the Skywalker Saga could be referenced in new and exciting ways.
The film is arguably responsible for the success of The Mandalorian and has since birthed the Andor spinoff. Tony Gilroy has also returned to help write Andor, which is currently in production for its second and final season.
Gilroy was instrumental in Rogue One becoming the film that it did, as he was brought in for five weeks of reshoots, taking over for Gareth Edwards. He was also tasked with punching up Gary Whitta’s script and also additional filming. This led to a much different film being put together, according to the stars and the footage that has been put together via a supercut on YouTube.
Scenes in the above movie populated many of the earlier trailers, though they never made the final cut. For instance, Rogue One featured a presumably younger Saw Gerrera, as Forest Whittaker was shown to be bald. This could have been an instance of Jyn Erso being taken care of by Saw before she takes off to explore the galaxy. There are also many shots of Ben Mendelsohn, who portrayed Orson Krennic. Mendelsohn also commented on the many shots that were never used.
According to Mendelsohn, “There were enormous differences within, I would’ve said, 20 or 30 of the scenes. There would be enormously different renderings.”
We are unsure about how different Rogue One looked before Tony Gilroy took over. Still, it sounds like we might have seen something different that explored Jyn Erso’s upbringing, Grennic’s rise to power, and how Saw Gerrera became a force in the rebellion.
There is also the big rumor that Disney halted a version of the film that included Darth Vader cutting down Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor as they fled with the plans for the Death Star. In the above supercut, there are shots of Jyn and Cassian running on the beach with the stolen plans, so maybe this rumored version did exist. Either way, Gilroy has confirmed if that release will ever see the light of day.
Tony Gilroy Shuts Down Rogue One Alternate Version
Tony Gilroy was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter when he was asked if this alternate version could ever be released.
According to Gilroy, “Uh, no. That was the absolute best possible version you could ever have. Oh my God. No. No.”
The blunt answer is enough to know that the Star Wars-loving world will never see these deleted scenes in some bigger cut or a director’s cut ever be released. Honestly, Rogue One is a fantastic film and one that has become a staple for most fans of the franchise. Andor has since explored that film and expanded on it in the perfect way. The final season of Andor will explore the three days leading up to the events of Rogue One, though we are unsure if Felicity Jones will reprise her role as Jyn Erso.
Related: ‘Rogue One’ Star Reveals If Jyn Erso Will Return to ‘Star Wars’
One character that most fans want to see is K-2SO, who is voiced by the wonderful Alan Tudyk. Either way, Andor is set to continue its amazing story with this final season. We are happy that Tony Gilroy is involved and working his magic once again, and we understand him shutting down the idea of the alternate version of Rogue One. Still, it would be great to see how the film would have looked with all that extra footage.
Do you want to see the Rogue One alternate version? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!