Duncan Jones, the director of the Warcraft movie back in 2016, has just shared the first look at his upcoming Rogue Trooper film adaptation based on the strip from the 2000 AD comics and the game series of the same name. Jones has been developing the film for years at this point, first sharing his intentions back in 2018. Initially a different Rogue Trooper project was being written by comic book author Grant Morrison, while hype was increasing due to a fan project around the same time. However, Jones’ pitch for the film has become the official project and apparently animations were completed back in early 2024.
Rogue Trooper will star Aneurin Barnard as Rogue, as well as a star-studded cast of performers including Sean Bean, Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Diane Morgan, Asa Butterfield, Alice Lowe, and Reece Shearsmith among others. Matt Berry and Jemaine Clement of What We Do in the Shadows, will be voicing the bizarre comic villains Mr. Bland and Mr. Brass.
In a recent news release, producer Stuart Fenegan shared:
“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. That level of detail and nuance was a priority from day one.”
The film will be animated utilizing the graphical capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 which has most recently been used to develop some of the biggest games of the year such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Split Fiction, among others. Produced by Liberty Films and Rebellion, Rogue Trooper will utilize real-time facial capture techniques to animate the characters in Unreal, allowing for more detailed expressions and creating for realistically lifelike performances on screen.
Rogue Trooper will take place on the planet of Nu Earth, where the warring armies of the Norts and Southers will clash for supremacy. The planet has a deadly environment that only soldiers like Rogue can survive, though survival may not come so easily as he finds himself the sole survivor of an invading force and must undertake a mission to find justice for his people. The story promises to be engaging and action-packed, while following the original “Genetic Infantryman” storyline created by Dave Gibbons and Gerry Finley-Day. Rogue must set out with the help of three of his deceased fellow soldiers whose personalities have been stored in his backpack, helmet, and gun, to find the traitor that betrayed him and his comrades.
With a blend of science fiction, dark humor, gorgeous visuals, and a stellar voice cast, Rogue Trooper is likely to stand out among recent animated films. This seems to be one of Jones’ most ambitious and passion-fueled projects to date, and I for one am interested to see how he handles the source material.
Are you excited for the film? Did you prefer the games or the comics? Do you hope this will re-ignite the hype around the series and potentially lead to more sequels? Let us know what you think over on the Discord!
