‘Rogue One’ Writers Had an Idea for a Series About Rebels Hunting Down Imperial Fugitives
Rogue One co-writers Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz once floated the idea of a TV show about Rebels hunting down Imperial fugitives.
In a post-Andor world, it appears that both fans and creatives are mulling over what live-action Star Wars can do moving forward, as the latest TV show from Lucasfilm has garnered as much acclaim as The Mandalorian — and more than The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi — despite lukewarm viewership ratings.
With Andor now being one of hottest talks of the Hollywood town at the moment, even past Star Wars creatives have now started to discuss bold ideas for TV projects that didn’t go anywhere but could’ve been fun to explore. Gary Whitta, who was credited for the story of Rogue One alongside ILM’s John Knoll, has revealed on Twitter that he and co-writer Chris Weitz once toyed with the idea of a post-Return TV show about Rebels hunting down Imperial war criminals on the run from the New Republic. Here’s the original tweet:
While Whitta and Weitz didn’t push the idea further or even turn in a pitch, it’s encouraging to know that more Star Wars screenwriters have considered potential projects to expand the franchise’s canvas in live-action. And one could argue that a pitch like this one would have higher chances of getting made now that audiences have seen and (largely) responded well to a heavier, grittier type of Star Wars show. For those especially curious: Chuck Wendig’s Life Debt, the second book of his Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy, explored the concept of a ragtag group of New Republic soldiers taking on ex-Imperials in hiding.
As much as we’re enjoying new stories starring or heavily featuring renowned legacy characters, films and series like Andor and The Mandalorian‘s first season are what will keep Star Wars fresh and healthy in the long run. Here’s hoping The Acolyte and other upcoming big and small-screen stories do the same through their own voices and styles.
Francisco J. Ruiz is that guy who has watched Jurassic Park a thousand times and loves Star Wars. His hunger for movies is only matched by his love for video games. He graduated in English Studies from the University of Malaga, in Spain. As he keeps writing about what he enjoys (and doesn’t) for websites all over, he’s continuing his studies.
