20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Wars: Rogue One
19. The Story Was Pitched By VFX Legend John Knoll After Disney's Purchase Of Lucasfilm
Rogue One was greenlit under the most uncommon of circumstances, with the original pitch actually being conceptualised by none other than legendary VFX artist John Knoll.
Knoll, a 35-year industry veteran who worked extensively on the Star Wars prequels, got word that Disney were planning a series of Star Wars spin-off movies, and after hearing some less-than-inspired concepts got to work on his own.
Knoll first had the idea of a direct prequel to A New Hope a decade prior, with the story intended to become an episode of the scrapped live-action series Star Wars: Underworld.
Once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Knoll returned to the idea, workshopping it with fellow employees of VFX house Industrial Light & Magic, before shaping it into a half-hour pitch he was encouraged to present to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
Kennedy loved it, greenlit the movie, and Knoll ended up with executive producer and "story by" credits while also working as the film's visual effects supervisor.