Some time ago, Disney revealed plans for “The Return of the Rocketeer,” a follow-up to the 1991 film directed by Joe Johnston. The original starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, and Alan Arkin, and centered on a stunt pilot in 1938 California who stumbles upon a rocket-powered jetpack developed by Howard Hughes.
Initially, J.D. Dillard was attached to helm the sequel, but he exited the project, and writer-director Eugene Ashe later took over the script. The new story was expected to revolve around a retired African-American pilots who inherit the Rocketeer identity.
British actor David Oyelowo was set to produce and star in the film. As of late 2023, Oyelowo had indicated the project was still moving forward, and even mentioned that there was a script practically ready.
However, in a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times,, Oyelowo confirmed that the film has effectively been shelved. He also revealed that another project he was involved with — a Netflix adaptation of the novel Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun — has similarly stalled. According to Oyelowo, both films have been impacted by the current sociopolitical climate.
Onyeka was exactly the kind of story we wanted to tell. After George Floyd’s murder, there was a wave of support for projects highlighting underrepresented voices. But now, it’s become clear that much of that support was superficial. Films like Onyeka and The Return of the Rocketeer are now harder to get made.
What Oyelowo is essentially suggesting is that Disney’s significant scaling back of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is likely the reason his Rocketeer sequel was scrapped.
Oyelowo isn’t wrong in his assumption either. Last month, two major outlets, The New York Times and The Telegraph, proclaimed an end to the “awkward diversity era” in Hollywood. The Telegraph’s headline, “Hollywood’s great unwokening has been unleashed.”
If this were 2018, ‘The Return of the Rocketeer’ would have already been shot and ready for release.