Director Duncan Jones, known for Moon and Warcraft, has spoken about his animated adaptation of Rogue Trooper, a sci-fi comic from British publisher 2000 AD. Speaking to Polygon at the Annecy Festival, Jones expressed hope that the film could give 2000 AD renewed mainstream success, following the more limited impact of the 1995 and 2012 Judge Dredd adaptations. He said he wanted his script to reflect the comic's "punk comedy political vehicle" spirit — funny, a little gory, and carrying political subtext without being heavy-handed.

Jones wrote, directed and independently produced the adaptation of the 1981 series created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons, which is set on Nu-Earth amid an endless war between the Norts and Southers. The story follows 19 (voiced by Aneurin Barnard), a genetically modified soldier accompanied by the uploaded minds of fallen comrades stored on chips. To manage a tight budget and just 10 days of shooting, Jones mixed animation styles and captured only faces and voices — with a cast including Sean Bean, Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry — before adding bodies via stuntmen and hand animation. Chastened by Warcraft's commercial and critical failure, he said he is not thinking about sequels, hoping instead that a successful standalone will let 2000 AD make more films from its catalogue.