‘Rogue One’ Writer Gary Whitta Blasts Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. Over Darth Vader’s Fight Scene
Actor Freddie Prinze Jr., who lent his voice to the character Kanan Jarrus on the animated Star Wars: Rebels series, got into some hot water when he claimed that a pivotal scene in Rogue One was directed by longtime franchise alum Dave Filoni. Speculation had swirled for years regarding the insertion of a scene near the end of the film, where Darth Vader cuts down a bunch of Rebel troops in an effort to secure the plans to the dreaded Death Star.
The scene was meant to act as a direct bridge towards Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, adding further exposition as to how the Rebels actually managed to acquire the plans, and why Vader was so invested in reacquiring them. The scene was well-received by fans for showcasing just how lethal and powerful Vader was, even against multiple armed opponents.
Prinze Jr. sat down on the Lights, Camera, Barstool podcast, where he referenced Filoni’s supposed involvement in directing the scene. “I don’t know if people know this, maybe I’m not allowed to say this, but I don’t care anymore. He directed that scene in Rogue One where, well, basically the whole end of the movie, where Vader comes through, and you see, basically, what’s gonna’ happen in A New Hope. He directed all that.”
It was enough for Rogue One writer Gary Whitta to come out swinging on Twitter, accusing Prinze Jr. of spreading false information, while reasserting that director Gareth Edwards was responsible for the scene.
Whitta even included a snapshot of a previous post he’d made, where he reminisced about Edwards showing him a rough cut of the scene.
It’s not the first time rumors have circulated over who directed what when it came to the filming of Rogue One’s most badass scene.
Previously, second unit director Simon Crane was mentioned, as well as screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who directed multiple reshoots without receiving a director’s credit.
Prinze Jr., for his part, has been a thorn in Lucasfilm’s side before, notably when he threatened to quit Star Wars: Rebels unless all the other cast members received a raise. On his personal podcast Wrestling with Freddie, the actor stated, “When I did Star Wars Rebels, they weren’t paying any of us a dime. When I said, ‘I’m gonna walk unless you give not only me, but the rest of the cast a raise, and I made sure we all got paid the same, that was the biggest, like – I can’t say that’s the biggest check any of them ever got on a show, but it was the biggest check that Disney ever paid voice actors per episode.”
Airing dirty laundry in public is a faux pas for all but the most extreme and warranted of circumstances; a lesson Freddie Prinze Jr. seems hell-bent on learning the hard way. He’s burnt multiple bridges in the past, from walking out of a WWE production and away from a lucrative job as head writer for Smackdown, to openly spitting vitriol at actor Kiefer Sutherland and voicing his resentment over his time on 24.
Freddie Prinze Jr. was a rising star in the late 90s, but his career started to fizzle in the new millennium, thanks in part to a disastrous role in the ill-fated film adaptation of Wing Commander, based on the classic gaming series. He managed to stay busy throughout the new millennium, starring in films like Scooby-Doo, and lending his voice to Lieutenant James Vega in the Mass Effect video game series.
He also made numerous television appearances on shows like Boston Legal, Bones, Punky Brewster, and of course, Star Wars: Rebels and The Bad Batch. He is still involved in the creative side of the professional wrestling business, with connections to both WWE and AEW.
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