For those who remember, 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” had a bit of a troubled production. Gareth Edwards directs the film, but Disney brought in Tony Gilroy, already an uncredited writer on the movie, to do reshoots. Now Freddie Prinze Jr., voice actor of Kanan Jarrus on “Star Wars Rebels,” has a bold claim. Neither Edwards nor Gilroy shot the final sequence in “Rogue One” featuring Darth Vader, says Prinze Jr. Instead, “Star Wars” journeyman director Dave Filoni helmed it.
Prinze Jr. made the claim about Filoni’s involvement in the scene on a recent episode of the “Lights, Camera, Barstool” podcast. “Maybe I’m not allowed to say this,” the actor started, “[but] Dave Filoni directed that scene in Rogue One where Vader comes through and you see basically what’s going to happen in “A New Hope.” He directed all that.” The sequence in question, which segues the narrative of “Rogue One” directly into the start of Episode IV, “A New Hope,” sees Vader plow his way through Rebellion soldiers in a last-ditch attempt to acquire the stolen Death Star plans. It’s a memorable sequence, not just because it was Vader’s first live-action scene in a long time, but because it also showcases the Sith lord’s vicious, unforgiving fight tactics.
But Prinze Jr.’s claim about Filoni wasn’t the only one he made. “[Filoni] also recast Darth Vader,” the actor continued. “They had cast another actor, and they asked Dave to watch the movie to see what he thinks. And I remember him going, ‘you got some of the buttons wrong,’ and, ‘why’d you hire an Italian?’ And they go, ‘how do you know we hired an Italian?’ And he said, ‘Well, Darth Vader doesn’t talk with his hands but this one clearly does.'” No surprise Filoni picked up on those details, given his devotion to the “Star Wars” franchise and how many animated and live-action projects he’s been a part of over the years.
But is Prinze Jr. telling the truth? The Wrap writer Umberto Gonzalez took to Twitter yesterday to deny the actor’s story. “No, 2nd unit director Simon Crane actually directed the Vader scene,” Gonzalez tweeted, “Not Filoni or Gareth.” So, who directed the scene after all: Edwards, Filoni, Crane, or Gilroy? It’s an interesting question mainly because the scene remains so riveting and is such a fan favorite. But then again, maybe it doesn’t matter, because fans already recognize “Rogue One” as a collective directing effort rather than a solo one by Edwards himself.
Take a peek at the Darth Vader sequence in question below.