Rogue Trooper (film)
A Genetic Infantryman hunts the traitor who betrayed his squad.
Rogue Trooper is a 2026 British adult animated military science fiction film adapted from the 2000 AD comic strip of the same name, originally created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. Duncan Jones wrote, produced, and directed the film. The voice cast includes Aneurin Barnard as the title character, with Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Matt Berry, Asa Butterfield, Jemaine Clement, and Sean Bean in supporting roles.
The story follows 19, a "Genetic Infantryman" who becomes the sole survivor of an invasion force. He sets out to find the traitor who betrayed his unit, accompanied by three fallen squad mates whose personalities are stored in his gun, helmet, and rucksack.
The voice cast also features Alice Lowe, Diane Morgan, Peter Serafinowicz, Adrian Edmondson, Henning Wehn, and Al Murray.
Development began with an earlier attempt by Grant Morrison in 2011, which stalled after the poor box office performance of *Dredd* (2012), another 2000 AD adaptation. In July 2018, Duncan Jones announced his own adaptation. Jones and producer Stuart Fenegan spent years persuading Rebellion Developments to let them make the film. To establish the creative direction, Jones recorded a full audio dramatisation of the screenplay, voicing every character himself, which later became the basis for the initial animatic. The visual style was developed through storyboards, live-action reference footage, Unreal Engine animatics, and concept art, aiming to evoke the original 2000 AD artwork—especially the *War Machine* special—with a watercolour-inspired look. Motion capture was used for some stunts, but the animation was heavily refined by hand to avoid a video-game feel.
In January 2024, the main cast was announced, with Jones confirmed as director, writer, and producer. The film was animated by Treehouse Digital using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5. It was produced by Rebellion Developments and Liberty Films, with principal photography completed at Rebellion Film Studios in the UK. Jones intentionally cast mostly British and European actors to reflect the comic's British roots.
Originally scheduled for a 2025 cinema release, the film was delayed to an unknown date. First-look images were released in June 2025.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Duncan Jones
- Based On
- Rogue Trooper · Gerry Finley-Day · Dave Gibbons
- Producer
- Stuart Fenegan / Jason Kingsley / Duncan Jones / Chris Kingsley / Ben Smith / Ben Andac
- Starring
- Aneurin Barnard / Hayley Atwell / Sean Bean / Matt Berry / Asa Butterfield / Jemaine Clement / Jack Lowden / Alice Lowe / Daryl McCormack / Diane Morgan / Reece Shearsmith / Peter Serafinowicz
- Cinematography
- Dan Atherton
- Editing
- Barrett Heathcote
- Music
- Bear McCreary
- Studio
- Rebellion Developments / Liberty Films
- Released
- 22 June 2026 · Annecy
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film tells the story of 19, a 'Genetic Infantryman,' who is the sole survivor of an invasion force. He is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates whose personalities have been stored in his gun, helmet, and rucksack. The film's visual style was developed through storyboards, live-action reference footage, Unreal Engine animatics, and concept art, aiming to evoke the appearance of the original 2000 AD artwork, particularly the War Machine special, through a watercolor-inspired aesthetic. Although motion capture was used for some stunt sequences, the animation was extensively refined by hand to avoid a video game-like appearance.
Reader's Guide
The film's significance lies in its long development history. In 2011, Grant Morrison intended to write a film adaptation, but the project stalled due to disappointing box office takings of Dredd (2012), also based on a 2000 AD comic. In July 2018, Duncan Jones revealed his next project would be a Rogue Trooper adaptation. Jones and producer Stuart Fenegan pursued the adaptation for several years before convincing Rebellion Developments to allow them to produce the film. To establish creative direction, Jones recorded a complete audio dramatisation of the screenplay, voicing every character himself, which later served as the basis for the film's initial animatic. The film was animated by Treehouse Digital using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 tool. Jones intentionally cast predominantly British and European actors to reflect the comic's British origins. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 22 June 2026 and will have its North American premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
Did You Know?
- The film is based on the 2000 AD comic strip created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons.
- Duncan Jones recorded a complete audio dramatisation of the screenplay, voicing every character himself, to help establish the project's creative direction.
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