Andor showrunner, Tony Gilroy, has recently likened one of Star Wars’ most underrated movies to a corpse, proving its miraculous resurrection. For nearly the last 10 years, Gilroy has had his hands firmly on the Star Wars timeline. Gilroy was responsible for shepherding Andor to becoming the best-ranked Star Wars TV show in history, though his feats in the franchise stretch back even further than this.

In a recent entry of the Happy. Sad, Confused podcast, Gilroy spoke about his earlier work as the filmmaker hired to complete Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Despite Gareth Edwards receiving directorial credit on the film, Gilroy was credited as a screenwriter, but it was known he came in to reshoot scenes in the first and third acts of the story. When asked what it was like to work on an IP like Star Wars, Gilroy made some fascinating comments about the state of Rogue One before he joined the production:

“Rogue [One] it was like, ‘There’s a corpse on the table, what are you gonna do? Could someone come in and save it?’ It doesn’t help to be a fan, at that point.”

Based on these comments, it is somewhat of a miracle Rogue One ended up as it did. Of all the Disney Star Wars movies, Rogue One is undoubtedly the most universally liked, which now comes as a bit of a surprise given Gilroy’s hints at its original state.

Rogue One’s Original Production Remained Secretive… Until Now

Not Many Know What Happened On The Set Of Rogue One

Perhaps the biggest reason why Gilroy’s comments about Rogue One are so interesting is the lack of detail presented about that movie’s production. The host of Happy, Sad, Confused even goes on to say that director Gareth Edwards and Gilroy’s co-screenwriter Chris Weitz remained mute when asked about what happened on Rogue One‘s set. Therefore, Gilroy’s comments offer the most insight into the film thus far, though not in an overly positive light. Likening Rogue One to a corpse that needed life support is certainly one way to indicate that the film was in a bad place before Gilroy’s involvement.

Our Take On Rogue One, Andor, & Tony Gilroy

A Match Somehow Made In Heaven

When hearing these comments from Gilroy, I was initially taken aback. I have just recently rewatched Rogue One after Andor season 2’s ending and it still holds up. The first 10–15 minutes are slightly rough, but as soon as the story moves to Jedha, it moves along briskly and provides an often thrilling journey. Hearing Gilroy describe the film before him as a corpse certainly makes me wonder how the film turned out as well as it did.

Perhaps Andor has the answers. I have made it no secret that I adore Andor and class it as some of the best Star Wars in the franchise’s entire history. GIlroy’s mature writing and ᴀssured hand guiding the project play a big part in this, which may explain why Rogue One was saved. The film is one of Star Wars’ most underrated, signifying a mindblowing recovery act from Gilroy if his words about the film’s initial state are to be believed. All of this just goes to show how strong a storyteller Gilroy is, explaining why Andor and Rogue One work so well together.