Rogue Squadron is a Star Wars movie that is in the works. Patty Jenkins, who directed Wonder Woman, will be at the helm.
Patty Jenkins (of the Wonder Woman movies) will direct the next Star Wars movie, titled Rogue Squadron. The movie's narrative will follow a new group of fighter pilots as they earn their stripes, risking their lives in a thrilling, boundary-breaking adventure, which will propel the saga into a future era of the galaxy.
Prepare for attack: Rogue Squadron was originally planned to hit theaters by Christmas of 2023.
On December 10, 2020, during a Disney investor presentation, Rogue Squadron was initially revealed. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced the film's name, release date, and director, Patty Jenkins. Simultaneously, Jenkins shared a video on her Twitter account, discussing her personal connection to the film, as her father was a pilot. Two days later, on December 12, Jenkins clarified that Rogue Squadron would be a completely new and original story, not based on the novel or video game series. Then, on December 14, Jenkins told Collider in an interview that the film had been in development for a considerable time, with a story treatment nearing completion. She also expressed her excitement for the story and mentioned that a writer had been hired but not yet revealed. The following day, on December 15, Jenkins spoke with Yahoo! about the immense pressure she felt directing a Star Wars film and how being the first female director in the franchise was a "groundbreaking position."
On June 25, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported through their "Heat Vision" newsletter that Matthew Robinson was set to write the film's script. On June 29, in an interview with the Associated Press, it was stated that the film would pay homage to Michael A. Stackpole's books in the Star Wars: X-Wing series and the video game series, while also modernizing the story. A month later, Jenkins explained to the news site how she was collaborating with Lucasfilm on the film: "The process is entirely different. I'm constantly on the phone and in Zoom meetings with everyone involved in Star Wars. I have a lot of freedom to create the story we want, but I need to be aware of who has done what, who is doing what, where the story goes, how it fits, and what designs have already been created. It's a completely different way of working that I'm learning."
On November 8, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Rogue Squadron, initially scheduled to begin production in 2022, was postponed due to Patty Jenkins's other commitments. As a result, the film was officially removed from Lucasfilm's production schedule.
In May 2022, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed in an interview with Vanity Fair that Rogue Squadron had been put on hold by Lucasfilm. On December 13 of the same year, Patty Jenkins released a public statement regarding her projects. In it, Jenkins explained that she initially left the film after a lengthy and productive development process that threatened to delay her next project. Jenkins stated that after she left, Lucasfilm asked her to consider returning once her project was complete, and she agreed. A new agreement was reached, and the project was in active development as of December 2022, though Jenkins admitted she was unsure if it would actually happen.
On March 7, 2023, Variety reported that the film was no longer being developed. At Celebration Europe 2023, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy mentioned in an interview with IGN that Rogue Squadron was still a topic of discussion at Lucasfilm and could potentially become a film or a series. On March 13, 2024, Patty Jenkins confirmed to Collider that she had signed a new contract with Lucasfilm and Disney to write and direct Rogue Squadron and was currently working on the script. In filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Disney revealed plans to release three untitled films between 2026 and 2027.
On May 7, 2019, Disney revealed its theatrical release schedule for 2020–2027, which included a Star Wars film set for release on December 16, 2022. The Star Wars Show also covered the news on May 15. This release date was originally intended for the first film in a series by Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. After their departure, the release date remained on Disney's schedule but was pushed back to December 22, 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, Rogue Squadron was assigned this release date. On September 15, 2022, Disney officially removed Rogue Squadron and the release date from its calendar.