Reshoots are a natural, if not touchy part of filmmaking. It’s nothing new to redo or add extra features to a film after shooting, but what sets these takes apart are the circumstances by which they are added. Sometimes the director just wants to add a few more details or features to the movie, or maybe the studio is scrambling for a complete overhaul of production in fear that it doesn’t look good in its current state. So what does it mean when a studio wants to do a re-shoot for something that already looks good? That’s the case with recent news this week, as Disney announced that the cast for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be meeting this month to re-shoot scenes for the movie.
The reason behind this, according to Page Six, is that “the execs at Disney are not happy with the movie,” which naturally has caused skeptics from couple of fans, all crossing their fingers in hopes that things will turn out alright. While re-shoots are usually seen by certain moviegoers as a sign of self-assured destruction, that’s not necessarily the case. It’s more along the lines of an editing/revision stage, adding in new scenes and moments that could possibly make the finished product look a lot better than it originally did. Sometimes it works for the best and at other times, not so much, but that doesn’t mean that every time the studio wants to do some scenes over again the entire project will go the route of Fan4stic.
However, it is really hard to judge the state of this movie in particular because, similar to details about The Force Awakens, most information concerning the plot has been kept greatly under wraps. All that we know are speculations based around images of the trailer, as well as theories created and shared by fans of the franchise, not enough to make the clearest of conclusions. Considering this is the next movie in undoubtedly the most successful film franchise of all time, I doubt anyone here wants to go the prequel route again and are really striving for the best film possible.
And what of the fans, who are jumping out of their seats and praying that this movie will not become a disaster? Are they overreacting to this situation? Probably, but in this day and age the use of the internet and social media has allowed fans to become more vocal in their discussions and criticism, for better and for worse. It allows us to connect to fellow fans and fandoms with whom we share a love for classic franchises that we have gown up on and wish to see succeed again. However, the flipside of this argument is the use of Twitter and other sites to voice our fears over even the tiniest of details, from disappointing trailers to questionable casting choices to yes… re-shoots= disaster. It’s the age we live in, able to connect with everyone at the push of a button yet possibly abusing such power in the process. Naturally, fans have a right to be wary and hope for success, but we need to realize that exerting fanboy rage at every tiny detail just leaves you out of breath for actual major issues.
So do these re-shoots spell doom for the new Star Wars movie? Not entirely, even if the Disney executives have expressed their own concern. Re-shoots are as much a part of filmmaking as rewriting the script after you complete it. If anything , this shows that the people working on this film are dedicated to making a great movie and are willing to take the time to smooth out what they believe to be rough edges. Sure, people have a right to be nervous, but let’s not make any wild assumptions until the final product is complete. After all, this is a Star Wars movie: the pressure is always going to be high.
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