We’re counting down to the December 16 premiere of the latest Star Wars adventure, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Now, if you want to avoid spoilers, you may not want to watch the above trailer, since as io9 notes, it pretty well tells the entire story, a contrast to the trailer presentations for The Force Awakens, where we didn’t know as much about the film. The movie stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker.
The basic premise for Rogue One is simple. After the creation of the Empire, the Rebel Alliance decides to try and steal the design plans for the Death Star.
The article goes on to tag this movie as a “make-or-break” moment for the Star Wars franchise; “the first stand-alone film in what Disney hopes is a new series of Star Wars spinoffs, to keep us focused (and spending money) when the main films are in their off-years.” Given the immense muscle Disney brings to the table, and the historic legacy of the franchise, a dire prediction may be a bit extreme, but as always where Hollywood is concerned, the bottom line will tell the tale. But we wouldn’t bet against the combo of Mickey Mouse and The Force, either.
Rogue One has undergone reshoots (as many movies do) and composers were changed three months ago. The article notes that the promos have taken on a different tone, maybe due to the reshoots. They started out “dark and mournful,” but subsequent efforts are more about “the power of hope,” which is of course an ongoing theme throughout the decades-long franchise.
K-2SO appears to take a starring role in Rogue One, and in the grand tradition of C3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8, has some great lines. Okay, so some droids just bleep a lot, but you get the idea.
“I’ll be there for you,” K-2SO tells Jyn. “The captain said I had to.” Well, if you put it that way…
Tickets for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story go on sale Monday.