New characters, planets, and background from the stand-alone movie revealed.
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’
It’s a dark point in theStar Warstimeline.
“He is one of Cassian’s contacts on the moon of Jedha,” says co-producer John Swartz.
Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm; Giles Keyte/Lucasfilm
Look who’s back.
The man in black.
With the Empire at peak strength, so is Darth Vader (again voiced by James Earl Jones.)
Giles Keyte
says Kiri Hart, Lucasfilms head of story development.
Hes tapped into something on another level, on a spiritual level.
So, thats part of the fun of Vader in the context of the Imperial Military.
Giles Keyte
Hes got a broader perspective.
Krennic has a lot to prove.
And Darth Vader comes ateverythingfrom the perspective of understanding the Force.
Jonathan Olley
This is the world the Ersos retreated to: Lah’mu.
“Its meant to be a fairly secluded world,” says Swartz.
The filmmakers liked it so much, they named another world after it.
Jonathan Olley
The wheel-shaped space station that an X-wing squadron is attacking is the Shield Gate.
The world below is Scarif, a tropical planet that’a one of the Empires key military-industrial complexes.
The Emperor built a giant wall around the whole world in the form of an energy field.
Jonathan Olley
It’s meant to keep outsiders away, and the Empire’s top secrets locked away beneath.
(Some fans have also comically referenced its similarityto a scene fromSpaceballs, probably unintentional.)
Rogue One is crafted as an extreme underdog story, with the Rebelsoutgunned, outmanned, outnumbered and outplanned.
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In many ways, the Rebels dont have a leg to stand on, Jones tells EW.
Theyre a motley crew, they all have had difficult backgrounds.
He’s a character with a lot of anxiety and guilt, and deep agitation."
ILM/Lucasfilm
)Rogue Onedirector Gareth Edwards described him in terms of a frenetic survivor.
“He talked to me about some kind of ideas he had.
He spoke about Dennis Hopper inApocalypse Now.
Giles Keyte
He spoke about Dustin Hoffman inPapillon,“Ahmed says.
So this is a dark time when things are very bleak and the Jedi have not come back.”
But there is still hope.
ILM/Lucasfilm
“And I think, I want to hear some of those stories.
Director Gareth Edwards on set with Diego Luna and Felicity Jones.
It just feels like youre at home again.
Giles Keyte
Tuesday: How this first stand-alone is reshaping the past and the future for the galactic franchise.
Jonathan Olley
Jonathan Olley
Jonathan Olley
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