Following the announcement that Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars film would be postponed indefinitely, rumors have surfaced claiming that the decision was made due to creative conflicts between Jenkins and Lucas film management.
Issues between Jenkins and the studio caused the film to be pulled from Lucasfilm’s production schedule, according to former THR editor and known insider Matthew Belloni. The disagreements, according to Belloni, have focused on the film’s script, with Jenkins and studio executives, notably senior VP Michelle Rejwan, unable to agree on how to proceed.
This is a “laughably repeating problem” at Lucasfilm, according to Belloni. According to the article, great filmmakers are often eager to sign on for a movie within the franchise but are inhibited by “micromanagement and plot-point-by-committee” methods.
Belloni cites Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who “bailed” on producing a new Star Wars trilogy, as well as Rian Johnson, whose own trilogy was also shelved, as having had similar experiences.
The Star Wars film starring Jenkins was first revealed in December 2020. The picture would be titled Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, and it would be the first in the franchise to feature a female director, according to Disney at the time. Despite the fact that the title is based on a video game property, Disney clarified shortly after that Rogue Squadron would not be an adaptation and would instead include its own unique tale.
While little else was known about the narrative of the picture, its future now appears to be in jeopardy. Even if production resumes in the future, fans are unlikely to see anything from the picture for some time.