The writer of The Bourne Identity is reportedly working on Rogue One's reshoots

The first standalone Star Wars movie is coming out later this year, and according to a new report one of the writers behind the Bourne Identity series is helping take Rogue One across the finish line. Entertainment Weekly reports that Tony Gilroy, who wrote the original Bourne trilogy, and wrote and directed films like Michael Clayton and The Bourne Legacy, is writing new material for reshoots on the film — and will also be serving as second-unit director.

While the first trailer for Rogue One promised that director Gareth Edwards would be delivering an exciting new addition to the franchise, the film got some unwelcome attention this week after a report from Page Six claimed that Disney executives were in a "panic" after recently screening a cut, and had ordered extensive reshoots. Things spread like wildfire from there, with some sites reporting that writer-director Christopher McQuarrie was going to be overseeing the reshoots while writing new material, and anonymous posters on Reddit claiming that they were part of the production team, and that Rogue One's filmmakers were furious over what they considered to be meddling on the part of Disney executives.

reddit, the front page of bullshit and imposters

— Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) June 3, 2016

The problem was, a lot of it appeared to be incorrect. McQuarrie himself called out sites for publishing inaccurate stories without contacting him first for confirmation, and Gary Whitta — who wrote the first drafts of Rogue One — called Reddit the "front page of bullshit and imposters." Most of the initial reports also seemed to miss the fact that reshoots on a movie of this size and importance aren't just common — they're basically expected from the first day of principle photography. (One only needs to look to The Force Awakens, which was taking care of reshoots and pick-up shots in Los Angeles until just a few months before release, for a recent example.)

Entertainment Weekly's account, on the other hand, is far more measured: basically, that additional material is being shot within existing scenes to help massage the tone without any impact on the release date. And by hiring Gilroy — as high-end a screenwriter as there is — it seems clear that Lucasfilm is continuing to use the very best talent in the industry for these films. But perhaps the most important thing to remember, particularly for a rabid fan base eager to hear any and everything about their favorite franchise, is a sentiment that McQuarrie spelled out quite clearly when speaking with SlashFilm about the early reports. "Gareth Edwards is a talented filmmaker who deserves the benefit of the doubt," he said. "Making a film – let alone a Star Wars chapter – is hard enough without the internet trying to deliberately downgrade one’s years of hard work. Who does that even serve? Let him make his movie in peace."

The ridiculous way The Force Awakens almost opened

• SourceEntertainment Weekly