Disney revealed that Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins will be helming a Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie that follows a group of fighter pilots—and it will not be an adaptation of any books or games. During Disney Investor Day, Jenkins announced her new film in a video, making her the first woman to direct a Star Wars film. Jenkins stated that she's wanted to tell a story that honors her father, who served as a fighter pilot in the military, for a long time. Through this movie, she now has the opportunity to tell a story that combines two things that she loves.
There have been several other Star Wars properties that follow groups of fighter pilots. The first Rogue Squadron video game focused on Luke Skywalker and pilot Wedge Antilles as they carried out missions to aid the Rebel alliance. The subsequent sequels allowed players to fight in battles that took place during the original trilogy, using various spaceships like the X-Wing. There have also been several tie-in novels that further explore the stories of these Rebel pilots.
In an interview with IGN, Jenkins said her Rogue Squadron film will take inspiration from preexisting Rogue Squadron stories, but the plot will be wholly original. She said:
"...We're doing something original with great influence from the games and the books...there's a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it's an original story and I'm so psyched to do it."
Patty Jenkins rose to prominence after she directed 2003's Monster, for which Charlize Theron won an Academy Award for Best Actress. After her breakout film, Jenkins spent more than a decade working in television before returning to the big screen with 2017's Wonder Woman. Jenkins was the first female director to helm a major superhero movie, and Wonder Woman was the first movie led by a female superhero in over a decade. The film went on to gross $821 million worldwide and was praised by critics and fans alike. A sequel was quickly greenlit, and Jenkins soon became one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood.
Disney and Lucasfilm announced a slew of new Star Wars content slated to come out in the next few years. Along with Rogue Squadron, the next Star Wars film to be released will be directed by Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi. There are also several new Star Wars series coming to Disney+. Ashoka, starring Rosario Dawson as the former Jedi, and Rangers of the New Republic are spinoffs of The Mandalorian. Andor also sees the return of Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in a prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Perhaps the most anticipated Star Wars series, however, is Kenobi, which takes place 10 years after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and reunites Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Despite the hiccup that was The Rise of Skywalker, it seems that Disney and Lucasfilm have big plans for the future of Star Wars.
Source: IGN
