With Disney and LucasFilm’s highly-successfulStar Warsspin-offRogue One: A Star Wars Storycoming home on Digital HD March 24, and onBlu-ray and DVDApril 4, fans have been waiting with bated breath to enjoy this sci-fi adventure from the comfort of their home, while enjoying all of the supplemental material. DirectorGareth Edwardsdecided to promote this home video release by hosting a Reddit AMA, where he shared a surprising secret that he kept fromStar WarscreatorGeorge Lucas, when Lucas visited the set. Here’s whatGareth Edwardshad to say.
“He came to visit Pinewood before we started filming…. to take the pressure off us, I had posters in my room of the previous ‘Star Wars spinoffs,‘Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventureand theStar Wars Holiday Special… my main goal when he came in was to try and stop him seeing these… my second goal was him liking the film.”
TheStar Wars Holidayspecial debuted on CBS in 1978, withGeorge Lucasserving as an executive producer, although it only aired once and was never released on home video due to its negative response from fans and critics alike.Caravan of Couragewas the first of two live-action TV spin-offs, which aired in 1984, a year after the Ewoks were introduced in 1983’sReturn of the Jedi.Caravan of Couragewas followed byEwoks: The Battle for Endorin 1985. Both movies did show in theaters overseas.
We reported in December, just a few weeks before the release ofRogue One, thatGeorge Lucasgot to see the movie, and he really liked it. When asked during theRedditAMA how that made him feel,Gareth Edwardshad this to say.
“The biggest relief in the world. George Lucas is GOD. Without him, no of this would exist. I would have traded his positive review for everyone else in the world if I’m honest.”
While the film was embraced by fans and critics alike, there was one point of contention for many, the lack of anopening crawl.Gareth Edwardsrevealed in a January interview that the first script written byGary Whittadid actually have an opening crawl written into it, but the director confirmed that they made the decision not to have an opening crawl before filming began, while admitting that they always knewJohn Williamswouldn’t be available for the score. Here’s what the director had to say about that in his most recent interview.
“We knew from the start that John Williams would not be available for our film… The opening crawl decision was made before we started filming.Gary Whittaactually wrote one in the first draft. You’ll have to pester him for it. I do believe that those opening crawl words are actually floating out there in space somewhere. We just have to fund NASA well enough so their deep-space telescopes can find them, lets crowd fund it and make it happen.”
After the AMA, a few fans reached out toGary Whittaon Twitter, asking if he would reveal the opening crawl that he wrote for the movie, but the writer refused to do so. While he did write the crawl, those words are still owned by Disney and LucasFilm, stating, “It’s not mine to share.” Take a look at the writer’s tweets below, as fans get ready for the Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD release ofRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
