'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story': Fans 'fixated' on production because of franchise popularity, says Riz Ahmed

Cast member Riz Ahmed addressed concerns about “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” going into reshoots in a recent interview. The actor said that the fans were “fixated” on the production of the movie because of the popularity of the franchise.

When executives at Disney supposedly “demanded” reshoots for the movie, after they were left unimpressed with what Gareth Edwards delivered, several fans were concerned. The stakes are high because this will be first spin-off movie from the franchise, and will be deviating from the main saga of the Skywalker family.

In an interview with BBC, Ahmed pointed out that most Hollywood movies big or small go for reshoots and even have an allocated budget for it. Ahmed plays the role of lead pilot Bodhi Rook of the Rebel Alliance and he takes part in the fight against the Empire at a time when the Rebels attempt to steal the plans of Empire’s super weapon known as the Death Star.

One of the reasons why “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was sent for reshoots is that it apparently feels like a “war movie.” However, Ahmed explained that the movie is no different than the other movies he is a part of such as “Jason Bourne” and “The Night of,” which have also gone for reshoots.

Ahmed said that the fans tend to “fixate” on this particular movie because it is a “Star Wars” movie. Perhaps no other franchise has the fans keenly watching the production updates and speculating about the plot so much.

Talking about the negative reports about “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Ahmed described them as “bonkers.” He said that he can’t speak for Disney, but he is personally happy with the film. He teased that they have done “some really cool stuff” in the movie and that it will be a “pretty cool film.” The actor confirmed that it will be a different kind of movie from the franchise and confirmed that it is like a “war movie.”