Duncan Jones Premieres 'Rogue Trooper' at TIFF

Director Duncan Jones premiered his new animated film, 'Rogue Trooper,' at the Toronto International Film Festival. This marks his first film in eight years, following 2018's 'Mute.'

Jones told IndieWire that the project's long journey began with a meeting 25 years ago and was formally announced in 2018. The actual production took four years, but securing the necessary independent financing consumed the rest of the time. He attributed part of the difficulty to the commercial performance of the 2012 film 'Dredd,' which impacted confidence in movies based on the 2000 AD comic universe.

The Challenge of 2000 AD Adaptations

Jones explained that the British comic publisher 2000 AD owns many characters, including Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. However, only two major film adaptations have been made: the 1995 'Judge Dredd' starring Sylvester Stallone and the 2012 'Dredd' starring Karl Urban. The director expressed frustration that these two films, despite the latter being critically well-received, did not generate enough commercial traction to greenlight more projects easily. He hopes 'Rogue Trooper' can build new confidence.

'They’ve got "Strontium Dog," they’ve got "Slaine," they’ve got so many really good things,' Jones said, lamenting that American comics from DC and Marvel have seen far more adaptations.

Independent Financing and a British Pitch

To get 'Rogue Trooper' made, Jones bypassed traditional studios. The production was independently financed. The pitch, he said, leaned heavily on national pride. 'We correctly banged the patriotic drum that this was going to be a British film with lots of British stars shot in Britain based on a British IP,' Jones stated. The film features a voice cast including Aneurin Barnard as the lead character, a soldier named 19, alongside several British comedians.

The story follows 19, who carries the downloaded consciousnesses of three fallen comrades in his equipment as he hunts a traitor. Jones described the film as 'a bit of a romp' with a unique visual style developed over the four-year production.

The Technical Hurdles and AI Stance

Jones revealed the animation process was fraught with technical challenges. Initially built in the Unreal Engine, the footage began to look too much like video game material. Bringing on VFX supervisor Marty Waters introduced supplementary technologies that allowed for a more traditional animation approach at a lower cost than standard animated features.

Throughout the interview, Jones was adamant that no artificial intelligence was used in the film's creation. He expressed understanding for artists who feel compelled to use AI to secure work but personally finds it troubling. 'It’s difficult to explain the use of AI in film as anything other than theft or being developed through the use of other people’s material, which was not paid for,' Jones told IndieWire. He contrasted it with other accepted filmmaking technologies, like the crowd simulation used in 'Gladiator.'

A Changing Landscape for Filmmakers

The director, who made four films in his first nine years, has only produced 'Rogue Trooper' in the subsequent eight. He suggested the current studio and streaming system often does not align with the kind of movies he wants to make. The independent route for 'Rogue Trooper' was a necessity. Jones concluded by expressing hope that the film's success might encourage more adaptations from other national comic traditions, specifically mentioning France's rich history of graphic storytelling.