Admiral Ackbar was almost in Star Wars: Rogue One, but the character was removed and replaced with a different Mon Calamari character, Admiral Raddus. First introduced in 1983's Return of the Jedi, Admiral Ackbar helped lead the Rebel forces in the final assault on the Death Star II in the climactic space battle of that film. The character returned in the sequel trilogy, playing a small part in The Force Awakens before being unexpectedly killed in The Last Jedi.
The first live-action, stand-alone, spin-off Star Wars Disney film, Rogue One, brought the series back to its roots, telling a story set in the days leading up to the thrilling opening of the original 1977 movie. Rogue One was originally written to include the iconic Mon Calamari war hero. Still, as the film evolved, it was ultimately decided to go in a different direction and include a new character, Admiral Raddus.
During a live-streamed watch-along of Rogue One on CineFix (via YouTube), writers Chris Weitz and Gary Whitta discussed their work on the film through live commentary and Q&A with viewers. In the latter half of the film, the conversation inevitably turned to the character of Admiral Raddus, who is clearly a substitute for Admiral Ackbar. They revealed the role was initially written for Ackbar, but director Gareth Edwards ultimately wanted to include more original characters for Rogue One; thus, Raddus was born.
Rogue One features many original characters, but also numerous cameos and supporting roles for long-time franchise veterans. Icons like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin appear, as well as Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, among others, including some cameos that make use of footage from the 1977 original to allow fighter pilots from the raid on the Death Star to fight in the climactic Battle of Scarif. It's an incredible mix of technology and storytelling, the likes of which have seldom been matched in other movies. Nevertheless, it makes sense why Gareth Edwards would want to include more original characters, to put more of his stamp on his particular corner of the Star Wars universe.
Admiral Raddus didn't survive the events of Rogue One, though his off-screen death was strangely underwhelming for such an essential figure in the film's final act. Still, had Ackbar been the leader of the Rebellion's assault on Scarif, the stakes wouldn't have been as high, since his survival would have been guaranteed by his appearances in Return of the Jedi and other films set after the events of Rogue One.
Source: CineFix (via YouTube)
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April 19, 2020 at 07:18AM
