Writer/Director Neil Johnson (The Time War, Starship Rising) has given scifi fans many treats over the years with his scifi epic movies, whether its invading alien armies (Alien Armageddon), or Firefly-esque space operas (Humanitys End) or the upcoming multi part show The Time War which…….well I wont spoil that for you but it looks amazing!  This week Neil Johnson is giving film fans a chance to watch his 2016 film Rogue Warrior Robot Fighter in 4k, for free on YouTube.

To accompany this free viewing of Rogue Warrior Robot Fighter, I reached out to Neil, dragging him away from The Time War and without the use of a torture bot. Neil very kindly answered a few questions for me.

Nearly 8 years have passed since the films release, looking back at it from 2024 eyes and mindset, is there anything you’d love to change about the film?

These were different times…. In the 90s -2010s, we were at the independent film model arena where I was making a film every couple of years… then it would get released and we would go straight to the top 10 on the independent charts for a month or so, selling 20+ territories, etc. This was the case for me since 2006 onwards. That meant you could actually make a living of sorts… though it wasn’t easy. People asked, why didn’t I make more films in that time? Well, a certain record company stiffed for for $70,000 and left me with staff members who needed to get paid, etc. It got really bad a couple of times, where I literally had no money for food, lost the 2 houses that I had (under a mortgage), and really had to scrape to survive. Every cent I got, I would put into another film. For a good example, doing the film Chrononaut, I had barely enough money to feed the actors, let alone myself. But we got the film done, and then I kept dropping in on family members hoping they would invite me for dinner, because I had spent all my money. They were very kind to feed me and give me leftovers. It’s funny, when you watch the film Alien Armageddon, it’s all about food and starvation within the alien invasion trope, so you can see where my head was at.

So my 2 films: Starship Rising and Starship Apocalypse came out and, even though they have pulled in about 10% above their budget, I was able to take some of that money and throw it into Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter. My hopes were high that I would get all the Rogue Warrior money back, and then some. In this time the company we went through had been bought by Sony pictures, so we got a release through them. We sold upward of 100,000 DVDs through Walmart (it was easy to figure out the real sales numbers) as well as iTunes, etc. This was definitely going to be WAY more successful than any of my films in the past. At this time, Sony announced that they were finished with doing independent film releases as the physical media thing was dying. They decided to pay us about 1/6th of what we were owed. I could have sued to get the rest of the money, but that would cost about $100,000 – and I didn’t have that money sadly. They paid us a pittance, and that was that. Had I released the film myself, probably would have made a big profit. Everyone thinks Hollywood is BIG money, etc. Its really a business that you have to sue people to get paid. I saw online somewhere that I am worth about $5 million. Wouldn’t that be a treat if that were true!

The issue is that when you make a film for a studio and they want action sci fi with LOTS of CGI, you have deliver in the promise that they will repay you. They even used that recent Star Trek movie with loads on lens flares as an example of what they want. And then, when you are done with the shoot, they want the film within 3 months, even though you really NEED 6 months to a year. What would I do different? Well… when you are under orders to have an action sequence every 10 minutes, etc, it handcuffs you creatively. These distribution entities HATE character stuff, and they hate comedy. They only want visual spectacle. The original script was WAY different. Its a 2 1/2 hour story crammed into 90 minutes. BUT people responded to the character and comedy stuff more than the vfx. So, we already had WAY more story, and I have since then gone out and shot 4 more hours of content. The story BEFORE and after is already told… it just needs to be finished in the edit room.

I will be changing the edit, color grade AND the VFX. I will be using physical models, not 3D models. Plus I would get rid of the Chastity 9 spaceship design. I often get snide comments from people who claim I ripped off The Mandalorian. I was first by 3 years… but I will be glad to step that design aside so I can have distance from the Disney series. I do LOVE watching that show, but I get annoyed every time someone takes aim at me. Plus Hoagland the Robot Looked a LOT like Baby Yoda’s baby capsule floating around…. It really irks me to see the same images all the time.

What is your one stand out memory from the shoot of the film?

The high heat in the desert. There is a scene where Sienna head-butts a few robots. The temperature gauge in the truck read 134 degrees Fahrenheit. We would do a shot and then go and cool down for 5 mins. It was TRULY insane. Tracey Birdsall is definitely one of the hardest working actors on the planet. We had a great crew… Kyle Wright the DP, Jim Zicree the production designer, all the cast… all wonderful…. It was ALL fun! There’s more scenes with Daz Crawford (who played Skullcrusher) and William Kircher coming, as especially more Marilyn Ghigliotti who is a legendary actor in her won right. Boy oh boy is she an under appreciated talent! And Tony Gibbons who plays Hoagland- definitely more of him!

Whilst there are many VFX and CGI shots within the film, so much of the film is practical.  What was the main deciding factor when making the film to go down that practical effect route?

Deadlines… force me into 3d renders, but… and this is a BIG tip- building physical spaceships is way faster in the long run IF you have over a dozen shots to fulfill of each vessel. People DON’T think long term. Look at the spaceships in Star Wars Episode 1… they were physical – they look better than Episode 2 and 3… All I want is to build it for real, as the shooting might be harder, but post production is WAY easier.

Were there any injuries on set?

I tore my legs up pretty bad recessing a drop from the jaws of a Bobcat in Malibu…. But this was NOTHING compared to Tracey Birdsall (the lead actress). She insisted n doing her own stunts, so there were daily and mostly minor injuries.

Can you tell us about Sienna (played by Tracey Birdsall)  What was your pitch to Tracey about playing the role of Sienna?

I met Katie Sackoff years ago at some event briefly and someone pitched me to her. I never forgot her words…. I just want to kick some ass on camera. Tracey Birdsall is a VERY similar human. I pitched her the idea of kicking ass physically AND character-wise. She definitely got to do both! She gave so much of herself to that role. I think its a role that will define her as a human being more than anything. She’s done a LOT of TV shows and film over the years, but Tracey’s face sells T-shirts! People love watching her hold a gun and have space adventures. This is the testament to an actor who loves what she does and has year’s of experience. More people need to hire that woman! She’s an acting MACHINE!

Will we see Sienna again?

Not a day goes by when I don’t think of Sienna and her further adventures traveling to different planets in her trusty spaceship and having adventures. Whilst, yes, we have shot 4 more hours worth… there is so much more story to tell. Tracey Birdsall bought her to life and I am forever grateful.

What was the hardest part of filming Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter.

Having to censor the character and story to suit the distributers. They were right in 2015, but in 2024, the world has changed. The desert heat was also an issue! We actually shot in the snow in the TV series sequel. Also, I can add that Sienna has a jetpack in the sequel story, BUT this was again shot before the Mandalorian. I think it was shot 2017-ish. We had a big fire in Malibu in 2018 and many of the props and costumes were destroyed, so it was definitely before this time.

The hardest thing looking back is that house we filmed in where Sienna lived, was burnt to the ground. That really hurts me personally.

Whilst I’m sure lessons are learned from every film that a filmmaker makes, what is the standout lesson you took away from Rogue Warrior Robot Fighter?

Every step forward brings it’s lessons. I think the lessons learned from the film have already borne fruit in the upcoming Age Of Darkness TV series, and my other productions. Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to failure. The standout lesson for me is to trust my own instincts and stop listening to others who “feel” they are right. And also spend more time in pre-production building sets and physical models!

What are you currently working on?

The Time War – a 10 hour TV series. That is nearly done. It is 20 times the budget of Rogue Warrior and the burden is 20 times heavier. I need a holiday and dong more Rogue Warrior content would be the perfect holiday.

Thank you Neil.   You can watch Rogue Warrior:Robot Fighter for FREE on YouTube. Check it out! and click the like and subscribe button and leave a lovely review which will make Neil (and Tracey) smile!

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