Rogue One star Mads Mikkelsen says the script for the Star Wars movie was "surprisingly unfinished": "I don't think they ever locked in a draft"

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Rogue One star Mads Mikkelsen says the script for the Star Wars movie was "surprisingly unfinished": "I don't think they ever locked in a draft" News By Lauren Milici published 22 December 2025

"I think it turned out to be a really nice film"

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Mads Mikkelsen says the script for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "kept changing" as they filmed – and that they may have never actually finished a script.

"For a Star Wars script, it was surprisingly unfinished," Mikkelsen told Variety. "It kept changing. One would think that was already done. I don’t think they ever locked in a draft. I think they kept working on it and improvised and went back and reshot stuff. And then came up with a better idea."

Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards, hit theaters in 2016. The film is set just one week before the events of the first Star Wars film, and follows rebels Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who steal the schematics for the Galactic Empire's Death Star. Mikkelsen plays Jyn's father, Galen Erso, a scientist who helped design the Death Star. The film grossed $1.059 billion at the global box office against a budget of around $300 million. Mikkelsen's character does not appear in the Andor spin-off series, though he's mentioned a whole bunch of times.

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Added Mikkelsen: "I think it turned out to be a really nice film."

Next on the docket for Star Wars is The Mandalorian and Grogu, starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, which will hit theaters on May 22, 2026. Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is currently in production.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more from galaxy far, far away, check our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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