Last month, Moon and Warcraft director Duncan Jones revealed that he had wrapped production on his animated adaptation of popular 2000 AD comic series Rogue Trooper, taking to social media to share details on the cast and a first official production image.
Aneurin Barnard (The Goldfinch, Dunkirk) will provide the voice of the title character, and he'll be joined by Hayley Atwell (Captain America, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters, Good Luck to You Leo Grande), Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9, Saltburn), Jemaine Clement (Avatar 2: The Way of Water), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth), Alice Lowe (Black Mirror), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Hugo) and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings).
No details on the other roles were provided at the time, but Jones would later reveal who will provide the voices for Rogue's fallen comrades, whose personalities have been transferred into his helmet, gun and backpack.
Though Rogue was a very popular character among 2000 AD readers, he was relatively obscure outside of the sci-fi comic's bubble, so the official 2000 AD X page has now shared a handy video recap of the blue-skinned badass' history.
According to the official logline, Rogue Trooper "tells the story of 19, a 'Genetic Infantryman,' who finds himself the sole-survivor of an invasion force. Desperate to track down the traitor who sold him and his comrades out, the super soldier is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates, whose personalities have been stored in his gun, helmet and rucksack."
“2000 AD offers a very different flavor of comic action: Political and brutal at times, but always with a Pythonesque twinkle in the eye. Dredd (2012) was a taste of what 2000 AD has to offer and now we get to show the world another side of the beast. It is a genuine privilege to be given the opportunity to make Rogue Trooper,” Jones said in a statement (via Variety).
Producer Stuart Fenegan added: “The advancements in Unreal Engine 5 and the inclusion of MetaHuman rigs mean that it is now possible to achieve a very high standard of animation within an indie budget. Working with our amazing partners at Rebellion, Epic and Treehouse Digital we are pioneering and developing a new creative pipeline that will enable independent production of CG animated films.”
Finally, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley said: "Rogue Trooper highlights Rebellion’s leading position within the entertainment industries. It has been filmed at our dedicated Oxfordshire film studios and combines beautiful storytelling from our iconic 2000 AD comic-book universe with animation and production technology from the video game industry. We cannot wait for everyone to see these incredible stories brought to life on screen.”
Jones also shared a first look at Rogue facing down a "Big Tank."
Treehouse Digital (The Well) is creating all imagery and animation for the project, working with Jones to bring to life the world of Rogue Trooper in Unreal Engine 5.