First Look at ‘Rogue Trooper’Animated Movie: An Unreal Engine 5 Production

Duncan Jones is back, and this time he’s bringing a fan-favorite comic book to life like never before. The director behind Moon, Source Code, Mute, and Warcraft is making Rogue Trooper, a full-length animated film based on the classic British comic from 2000 AD. And here’s the twist: the whole thing is built using Unreal Engine 5, Epic Games’ powerful game engine that’s helping push movie animation into the future.

The movie stars Aneurin Barnard (Doctor Who) as Rogue, a genetically-engineered super soldier fighting on a toxic, war-torn planet called Nu Earth.

He’s the last survivor of a doomed mission and is hunting down the person who betrayed his squad. But he’s not entirely alone; Rogue carries the minds of his fallen teammates with him, downloaded into his gun, backpack, and helmet. It sounds strange, and it is, but in the best way possible.

The film has a big cast too. Alongside Barnard, you’ll hear voices from Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean. Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry voice a couple of oddball scavenger characters called Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland, who are just as weird and funny as you’d expect.

Rebellion and Liberty Films are behind the project, and they’ve released a first look at both the film and the motion capture tech that helped bring these digital characters to life. Clement and Berry’s faces were captured with high-tech facial rigs that translate every expression into animation in real time. It’s a big part of why this movie looks so striking.

Jones has been working on Rogue Trooper for years. Back in 2018, he announced he’d be directing the film, and at the time, there were other versions being talked about, including a short fan film and a separate screenplay by comic writer Grant Morrison. But Jones’ version is the one that stuck. By January 2024, the animation was done, and the project was finally moving toward release.

The world of Rogue Trooper is harsh and weird, filled with poisonous air, mutant soldiers, and an endless war between two sides: the Norts and the Southers. Rogue was designed to survive where others can’t. But survival isn’t enough — he wants revenge. As the official synopsis puts it, “he finds himself the sole survivor of an invasion force.”

The film turns the old comic book panels into big, cinematic moments, using Unreal Engine 5 to build everything from dusty wastelands to giant, futuristic tanks. It’s gritty, surreal, and visually wild, exactly the kind of world where Duncan Jones’ style thrives.

After years of waiting, Rogue Trooper is almost here. For fans of sci-fi, comic books, or just cool-looking animated movies, this might be one to keep an eye on. As the article in Empire Magazine teased after showing off the first images: “Yeah, we’re thinking Jones is back — and not a moment too soon.”

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