Well over three months and $2 billion dollars in gross later for J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Disney and Lucasfilm have finally gotten their feet well soaked in for today’s enduring generation of sci-fi fandom. And so, the clock ticks for filmmaker Rian Johnson’s efforts with Star Wars VIII which remains in production.
For now, it’s a new year and this December will bring us the first of a spate of feature-length spin-offs with none other than Godzilla helmer Gareth Edwards spearheading the December 16, 2016 release, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Actress Felicity Jones leads the cast along with Diego Luna for a sets foot in the events before Episode 3 of the Star Wars canon.
Per StarWars.com: “Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for ‘Rogue One.’”
Jones and Luna are joined by Forest Whitaker and Ben Mendelsohn with appearances by Hong Kong cinema stalwarts Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen, Doctor Strange co-star Mads Mikkelsen and actors Alan Tudyk and Riz Ahmed. Watch the trailer now and tell us your thoughts!
