The Long-Gestating Sequel To The Rocketeer Is Apparently Dead

In pretty devastating news for a generation of fans, it seems the long-gestating sequel to 1991’s classic The Rocketeer is seemingly dead at Disney and won’t be taking flight anytime soon.

Set to have been produced and star David Oyelowo – he of Selma and Government Chesse fame – the film was reportedly as close as ever to being made but in light of different forces at play (bot least the political landscapes at the moment) the star suggests that Disney are cutting back on some of its slate and productions at the moment.

Speaking to The Los Angeles Times, Oyelowo said that The Return of the Rocketeer and another project he was working on -an adaptation of the novel “Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun”- are dead in the water.

“‘Onyeka’ is an absolute bull’s-eye for what we are looking to make, but it is also symptomatic of the challenge we have. We gained traction with that project in the wake of the George Floyd murder and in a moment where there was a cultural correction and people seemed to want to do better.

But now we’re in a moment where it’s evident that a lot of that was performative and not bone-deep. Projects like that suddenly become challenged. ‘Onyeka’ being one, ‘Return of the Rocketeer’ at Disney being another.”

The original film followed a stunt pilot named Clifford “Cliff” Secord in 1938 California, who comes into possession of a prototype rocket pack from aviation magnate Howard Hughes. Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) directed the film which starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton and Alan Arkin. The sequel was planned to follow a retired Tuskegee airman who takes up the mantle of the Rocketeer.

Sad times. Relive the magic of the first though with the original trailer: