Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has quietly become one of the more beloved films of Disney’s output since procuring Lucasfilm. That’s not exactly the highest bar to jump over, of course, but it’s a far cry from when the film initially released to tepid reviews and fans’ anger over director Gareth Edwards being effectively removed from the project at a late stage and Tony Gilroy taking over to conduct five weeks’ worth of reshoots. In retrospect, the film has a lot going for it, especially considering it gave us Cassian Andor and what might be the greatest piece of Star Wars content ever made in Andor. It also, undeniably, has a lot not going for it, including a slog of an ending, very obvious tonal shifts from reshoots, and issues with many of its other characters. So if you’re wondering if a superior cut or director’s cut of Rogue One could be created in the future, Tony Gilroy has the answer: “Oh my God. No. No.”
Yes, the simple answer, from the man himself, is no. And then no again, while evoking God. Tony Gilroy was emphatic with THR that it is not possible to make a better Rogue One director’s cut.
“Uh, no. That was the absolute best possible version you could ever have. Oh my God. No. No,” he said, with what sounds like the air of a man who has just heard a really funny joke. “I’m not going to go into any more detail,” he continued. “But the more authority that you hear people talk about online about what happened on that movie, the less they know. That’s all that needs to be said. Maybe someday … but no. That’s the absolute best version of that movie that you could possibly imagine in the time that was given.”
Wait. Maybe someday? You can’t open with a flat-out no, Tony Gilroy, and then say someday. That’s exactly how you continue internet rumors. But maybe that “someday” is just in reference to being able to talk about how troubled and complicated shooting Rogue One was.
