10 Movies You Didn't Know Recycled Footage From Other Films
5. Rogue One Recycled Old Star Wars Archive Footage
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story used special effects to bring actors from previous entries in the series back to life, but that's not the only thing it resurrected. Although that creepy digital Peter Cushing was impossible to miss, director Gareth Edwards's other revival went undetected by most fans.
The prequel incorporated unused footage of pilots Garven Dreis and Jon Vander into its final battle sequence at the shield gate around Scarif. Rather than recast or recreate actors Drewe Henley and Angus MacInnes, Edwards inserted archived shots of them into the final cut, and reworked his script to tie in with their dialogue.
Edwards discovered the footage - which was originally filmed for A New Hope's Battle of Yavin - while touring the Skywalker Ranch, and his special effects team were able to seamlessly integrate it into Rogue One's final act using the Force. Oh, and loads of technical know-how.