Gareth Edwards Talks Rogue One Reshoots

As quickly as the first Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer energized fans, news of reshoots dampened enthusiasm, casting a shroud of uncertainty over the whole production. Entertainment Weekly gained exclusive access to Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, and asked him clear up some of the rumors. We've pulled out some of the choice bits.

Edwards on the idea of even needing reshoots in the first place:

"I mean it was always part of the plan to do reshoots. We always knew we were coming back somewhere to do stuff. We just didn't know what it would be until we started sculpting the film in the edit."

On what, specially, is being reshot:

"There's lots of little things that we have to get, but it's all little things within the preexisting footage...There's nothing about the story that's changing, with a few things that we're picking up in additional photography."

On the reported shift in tone, from war film to a light-hearted romp:

I mean, the sort of tone we were going for when we started was the tone you have in films like The Empire Strikes Back. And that's not in any way been compromised."

On the internet's reaction:

"It's funny, making a film stops you believing anything you've ever read on the Internet."

Pretty much every movie needs reshoots to some degree, including The Force Awakens (which turned out pretty well). Contrary to prior reports, they're not reshooting half of Rogue One—and couldn't even if they wanted to, given the effects-heavy nature of the movie. It's looking more and more like people momentarily lost their minds over what is amounting to a reshoot session only slightly more arduous than usual.

In related news, Edwards and Star Wars lord Kathleen Kennedy also talked a little about Darth Vader's role in the film. "He will be in the movie sparingly," said Edwards. "But at a key, strategic moment, he's going to loom large."

Added Kennedy, "Within the Rebellion, it's not commonly spoken about. Within the Empire, there is the culture of knowing of the existence of Darth Vader. There's definitely an underlying feeling that there is a power—a dark power—available to the Empire and that if you overstep your mark, you will suffer the consequences."

Those quotes give a pretty good idea of how Vader will be used. Ben Mendelsohn's Director Orson Krennic, the film's antagonist, will probably overstep his bounds, or take too great a risk, and get a harsh scolding from papa Vader.

Finally, we'll leave you with a fun quote from Edwards, describing the crazy experience of making a movie with Darth Vader:

"You have to pinch yourself. Everyone became children again, so easy. You just go straight back to being a 4-year-old, like, in a heartbeat. ... There's all these rules about security on set, but I couldn't help it. I got my phone out and started taking pictures of him, and pictures of me with him, because I felt like no one would ever believe that I'd met Darth Vader."