‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ screenwriter teases ’The Last Starfighter’ reboot

Image: Twitter/@garywhitta

“Star Wars: Rogue One” screenwriter Gary Whitta teased on social media that he’s working on something related to a “The Last Starfighter” reboot.

Whitta tweeted several concept artworks created by Matt Allsopp for what may be a reboot of the 1984 classic science fiction film. Allsop also did work for “Rogue One” as lead concept artist.

The screenwriter claims it is something he is currently “tinkering on” with co-writer Jonathan Betuel, who originally wrote for “Starfighter.”

Image: Twitter/@garywhitta

Whitta also tagged actor Seth Rogan in a tweet, claiming he would be perfect for the role of Centauri in the reboot.

When asked about the timing of a reboot, Whitta said it all boiled down to Betuel. Whitta noted in an interview with Gizmodo that rights to the intellectual property were a mess. “As I understand it (and I’m not a lawyer), Jon still retains some piece of ownership of the original IP, so no one can make a new movie without his participation,” said Whitta.

Meanwhile, Whitta and Betuel have already completed a fully developed story that he claims to be a “combination of reboot and sequel that we both think honors the legacy of the original film.”

Despite the enthusiasm and positivity of the two writers, Whitta admits there are some things left to take care of before the project can move forward. Nonetheless, he says they are determined to make the movie happen. He takes a lesson from the original movie saying, “When you get your chance you’ve got to grab it with both hands, and hold on tight.”

“The Last Starfighter” of 1984 follows the story of teenager Alex Rogan, played by Lance Guest, as he gets recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an intergalactic war. The movie was directed by Nick Castle. Similar to “Tron,” the movie was among the first to use extensive computer-generated imagery to feature battle scenes and numerous starships.  Alfred Bayle /ra

RELATED STORIES:

Fanmade Hawkeye ‘Infinity War’ poster gets recognized by directors

Luke Skywalker would still have died under George Lucas version of new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy

‘Black Panther’ made moviegoers more excited to see ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ — survey