Patty Jenkins to become the first woman to direct a Star Wars film with Rogue Squadron
Film Features Film
The Disney Investor Conference soldiers on with more major news, including the announcement that Patty Jenkins will directing a new Star Wars film, Rogue Squadron.
Currently scheduled to release on Christmas 2023, the Wonder Woman director will helm a new Lucasfilm story that follows that different pilots across Star Wars universe. Jenkins released a brief video detailing her excitement for the new story, which ends with her donning the iconic pilot uniform and helmet.
As Variety notes, this new project make Jenkins the first woman to direct a Star Wars film. This is the second time she has managed such a record-setting feat, as she was also the first woman to direct a movie with a budget over $100 million. Women have previous been part of the directing team, which is the case for Victoria Mahoney, who was the second unit director on The Rise Of Skywalker. Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard have also directed episodes of The Mandalorian for Disney+.
This development arrived with deluge of new Star Wars-related news, including a new Lando-centered limited event directed by Justin Simien and two Mandalorian spin-offs. Disney announced that there would be 10 new Star Wars projects in total over the course of the next few years. Disney also released the trailer for Star Wars: Bad Batch, an animated look at the Clone troopers.
67 Comments
If this is as close to a Wraith Squadron adaptation as we get, I guess I’m okay with that.But, come on. Wraith Squadron.Yub yub, commander.
I wonder which iteration of Rogue this will be. I’m excited at the prospect of the introduction of Corran, but in some ways it makes more sense to start with the transition from Red to Rogue.Is the world ready for Lt. Kettch?!
I’m in the middle of re-reading the Wraith Squadron books just for kicks and giggles, and they’re holding up nicely. I would be most pleased if this Rogue Squadron movie was a legit adaptation (or close to it) of the original X-Wing novels…with maybe a Wraith Squadron Disney+ show? All my other dreams are coming true tonight.Yub, yub, commander.
They could introduce one or two of the Wraiths in the movie, to give a hook for spinning it off into a show. Wraith really needs to be a show, not a movie.
Agreed. Not the least of which is because I want Jaina to be canon despite the near zero possibility.
Given the EU wipe, it could be a hybrid of old ideas.
Elliot Page IS Grand Admiral Thrawn!
Yeah I could definitely see them mining alot from the EU, as they have with the tv shows to good effect. Win back the old fans while not being tethered to some material that was just as controversial back in the day
Hardcore reference win!
I’m all for it. But where did she find those sweet inline skates? Do they still make those?
This has as much prestige as Niki Caro getting to direct that abomination of a Mulan film. Lets remember Disney films tend to have corporate fingerprints all over the story and production and they largely suck.
So potentially lots of prestige? Money is power.
Rogue One and Solo were good; since this is another non-numbered one I’m feeling pretty optimistic.
Erm, there’s literally a “one” in the title.
Patty Jenkins has a lot more juice than Niki Caro; I can’t imagine her agreeing to this without significant control over the final product. Get worried if they fire her, though. Also, Mulan was a remake, giving Caro only limited room to work. Rogue Squadron is a much bigger sandbox, and isn’t saddled with existing (iconic) characters, both of which helped make Rogue One the best Star Wars movie this century.
Limited room? I admit I’ve never seen any of Disney’s live-action cash-grabs, but from what I’ve heard, whoever wrote the last Mulan changed the story a lot, and not for the better.
Rogue Squadron is a much bigger sandbox, and Brian Wilson has already pooped in it.
They Should really have Catherine Bigelow direct. She was really good with zero dark 30 and the hurt locker. An action pack ed Star Wars military movie would be right up her alley I don’t know she does sci-fi
Some directors prefer not to be tied to a franchise though, and with good reason.
Bigelow has been the best choice for a lot of these. Disney has made it clear they’re not interested in ‘best.’
She did Strange Days.
So Ms. Jenkins also has the unprecedented opportunity to be the first woman to be lambasted-on-the-internet-about-how-badly-the-latest-Star-Wars-movie-turned-out, as well as the first woman to righteously-explain-on-the-internet-why-it-was-really-Disney,-Zuckerberg,-and-the-internet-that-really-ruined;-it-before-deleting-all-of-her-online-presences.
I do wonder what they’ll cover. Canonically, Rogue Squadron was a certain Mr. Skywalker’s outfit, but I assume Luke won’t be making an appearance (unless they really want to give Sebastian Stan a job), nor Wedge. Perhaps it’ll be set in the Rogue One-era? Or maybe it’ll be set during the original trilogy, but post-Luke (like the Rogue Squadron games)?
Personally, I’m hoping for a spinoff about Porkins.
How did he get that nickname, anyway?
He doesn’t like to talk about it.
Wait, that’s a nickname?
His cockpit always smelt like an Arby’s.
Per Wookieeepedia:
Because of his rotund physique, Porkins was playfully nicknamed “Piggy” and “Belly Runner”.
I’m partial to Biggs Darklighter, the Matthew McConaughey of the Star Wars Universe.
They’ll probably bring in a newer version of Wedge. What I’m interested in seeing though, is how often they will name-drop Luke without bringing in Hamill at some point.Maybe we’ll see Hamill as Luke, and he’s sitting at a weekly holographic campfire with a bunch of kids and ewoks, telling tales of the great adventures of Rogue Squadron, with R2 doing movie projector duties.
“Newer version”? Elliot Page IS Wedge!
It will be like the Marvel Netflix shows where they occasionally mentioned the Avengers, but only called them “the big green guy” and “the flag-waver.”
I could see it being set in the immediate aftermath of Jedi.We want Corran Horn!!!
Sebastian Stan already has a job. It’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
I went on like two dates in college with the actor that played Porkins’ niece. That’s the entire story.
So the “…a Star Wars Story” movies are back?
It’s a Life Day miracle!
I wish Bea Arthur were here to see it.
Not pretentious enough. How about “A Song of Star and War” instead?
Return Of The Thing
His Star Materialsor maybe 50 Stars of Grey
As long as we’re throwing literally EVERYTHING (Lando what now?) at the wall to see what sticks, where’s my Solo 2?
Isn’t that going to be a tv show?
I will watch it if it is
Wouldn’t Solo 2 technically be Duo?
Actually, it’s Solo: Alone 2-Gether
Solo Again (Naturally)
It’s going to be a Punch-N-Judy puppet show. In England, I guess.
Rogue Squadron Finally!!! Don’t fuck this up!Don’t fuck this up!Don’t fuck this up! No whammy!
No whammy!Stop!
That teaser from Patty Jenkins is pretty cool.
I know we’re supposed to celebrate whenever “The First Woman To…” or “The First Black To…”; but is “directing a Star Wars movie” really that much of an endeavor that anyone cares about anymore?
I actually don’t care about ‘the first woman to…’, but I do care that the Star Wars sidequels are back on (Rogue One and Solo were considerably better than the two trilogy movies that I saw, and the one I missed is supposed to be the bad one) and I care that a director who has a solid record is making one.
Sidequel is a cool word. Did you make it up?
I’m not sure which one you didn’t see.
I can’t recall hearing it anywhere else, though I have to imagine someone else is using it, even if I hadn’t heard it.I skipped Rise of Skywalker and nothing I’ve heard about it since makes me want to change that.
So wait but u don’t want to see women take on more roles in the industry?
I just don’t really care that much about who makes the product, only that it’s good.
Hey, being slotted into a revolving door of corporate drones is progress, too!I’m sure she’ll recapture the sense of childish wonder that Star Wars brought to us when we were actual children!
Now I’m sad.If she does that, I’ll kiss her feet.
Odds are she’ll do what every Star Wars director has done for the last 21 years – make a billion dollars off of people who rage loudly about what a shitty job she did.
now I’m sad…
I’m not a fan of pre A New Hope shows but I do like the exploration of the time post Return of the Jedi. I think it’s a far more interesting set of story possibilities with the building of a new republic etc. Honestly the worst part of the sequel trilogy was the world building. Abrams did a terrible job setting up what the state of the universe was at that time.
I’m sure the reaction from the fanboy sector will be measured and reasonable.
What I’ve seen so far from the really hardcore fans is they’re basically losing their minds in a good way because they’ve been asking for a Rogue Squadron movie/tv show for ages. And they think it’s great that Jenkins is directing.
You’re soooooo brave and such a good person.
I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. A Star Wars movie with actual wars in the stars, presumably. There hasn’t been nearly enough X-Wing dogfights. I wonder if they’ll mine the old material, will we get more Wedge and world devastators?