Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Isn't Adapting Games or Books Says Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins is directing Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for Lucasfilm, but the film won't retell the stories in the popular video games or books of the same name. Lucasfilm revealed the new Star Wars movie project during this week's Walt Disney Company Investor Day presentation. During an interview with IGN ahead of the debut of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max and in theaters, Jenkins clarified that she's not basing her film on those popular past Rogue Squadron stories. "[In the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie] we're doing something original with great influence from the games and the books," Jenkins said. "There's a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it's an original story and I'm so psyched to do it."

The Rogue Squadron game series was a series of titles available on PC and Nintendo consoles, developed by LucasArts and Factor 5. The arcade space combat series started with players taking control of the titular Rebel Alliance flight squad under the command of Luke Skywalker during the events of the original trilogy. The first Rogue Squadron release on PCs, and the Nintendo 64 in 1998. Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader followed in 2001 as a Nintendo GameCube launch title. Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike in 2003 added ground combat, multiplayer, and non-linear story progress.

Rogue Squadron was also the subject of a series of novels and a comic book series, both titled Star Wars: X-wing and written by Michael Stackpole. Unlike the games, these stories took place after the original Star Wars trilogy. They followed a new Rogue Squadron under the command of Wedge Antilles after Luke left the group to focus on rebuilding the Jedi Order. There were ten entries in the novel series and 35 issues of the Dark Horse Comics series.

These stories took place in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, now published under the non-canon Star Wars Legends banner. That frees Jenkins up to do whatever she likes with Rogue Squadron. If her method is anything like how Star Wars film and television have treated the Star Wars expanded universe, there will still be plenty of old touchstones used as inspiration in the new movie.

Are you excited about the new Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie? Do you wish it was an adaptation of the old stories? Let us know how you feel in the comments. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron opens in theaters in December 2023.