THR is reporting that Matthew Robinson, who co-wrote and co-directed the 2009 comedy The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais, is penning the script to Rogue Squadron, which Patty Jenkins is due to direct for Disney/Lucasfilm.
Lucasfilm had no comment.
Jenkins’ involvement was revealed in December 2020 by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy during Disney’s investor day. In a separate video posted on Twitter, Jenkins said she is using her fighter pilot father as an inspiration for the project and has wanted to make the “greatest fighter pilot movie ever made.”
However, the announcement did not mention any screenwriter
Little else is known about the project nor is it clear how long Robinson has been on it, although sources say he is currently furiously keyboarding away on a draft. The project is hoping to go into pre-production this fall for a shoot sometime in 2022. It has a Dec. 22, 2023 release date.
Since the end of the Skywalker Trilogy with 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and previous missteps such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, the beloved George Lucas-created sci-fi fantasy has retrenched and been reborn as an acclaimed, Emmy-winning Disney+ franchise that can still influence pop culture. Squadron will be the first feature to come since that rebirth.
Robinson is an interesting choice for writer due to his varied career. Since Invention of Lying, he has fashioned himself to be an in-demand writer in the adventure space, having worked on 2020’s Dylan O’Brien-starring post-apocalyptic creature feature Love and Monsters and the Edge of Tomorrow sequel, Live Die Repeat and Repeat, which is in development at Warner Bros. He also worked on Warners’ remake of Little Shop of Horrors, also in development.
Robinson is repped by ICM Partners and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Image: RACHEL MURRAY/GETTY
