Sometimes I wonder why it takes so damn long to make videogames. Then I glance over at the movie industry and think, okay, maybe it's not that bad after all. Current case in point, Rogue Trooper. Warcraft director Duncan Jones confirmed he was working on the film in 2018, and now we've finally got our first look at what he's been getting up to.
It's not the most informative infodump ever, but the images are definitely distinctive. There's a shot of "breakout talent" Aneurin Barnard as the blue-skinned Rogue Trooper, Jermaine Clement and Matt Berry as Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland, and a couple mood-setting images of Nu-Earth: A pair of Souther soldiers looking like they're having a very bad day (although every day on Nu-Earth is very bad, I suspect) and a massive war machine of some sort—maybe it's a tank, maybe it's a planet-busting missile on a mobile launcher, maybe it's a train to paradise. Who can tell?
"We are so excited to share a first look of the film and show the amazing fidelity with which the team have used our actors on set performances to drive the animated characters," producer Stuart Finegan said. "That level of detail and nuance was a priority from day one."
And yes, the Rogue Trooper film is animated, not live action, which I don't think was mentioned when Jones confirmed he was on the job in 2018.
The film, for those who follow these things closely, is based on the original Rogue Trooper and not the Friday reboot (which frankly I prefer), and thus it will also include Rogue's three KIA-but-still-chatty squad buddies, whose personalities are stored in his gun, helmet, and backpack. Other members of the cast include Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean. RIP in advance.
And why are we, a PC gaming website, talking about a Rogue Trooper movie? Because the announcement of the film came hot on the heels of Rogue Trooper Redux, Rebellion's 2017 update of the 2006 third person shooter of the same name (minus the Redux bit). It wasn't great, unfortunately, and neither was Jones' last videogame-based movie—Warcraft, in case you'd forgotten—but hopefully the pieces will all come together for this one.
There's still no release date for Rogue Trooper but it may be getting closer: Jones said "we're almost finished" in today's announcement, and he's set to appear at San Diego Comic Con on July 25.
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