This past weekend, the Star Wars Celebration dropped a host of new material for Star Wars fans everywhere, including the plot details of the upcoming spin-off movie, Star Wars: Rogue One. According to the movie’s creators, the plot will feature a group of rebel soldiers trying to steal the plans for the Death Star after the fall of the Jedi order.
Felicity Jones, the only cast member confirmed for the movie, will play a rebel soldier among a group of regular people dedicated to bringing back hope to the galaxy after the fall of the Jedi. The above picture is concept art released by StarWars.com that shows soldiers running in to face an unknown enemy, showcasing that this film in particular will highlight the fact that without the Jedi, the people of the galaxy have to fend for themselves. This time, regular soldiers will be the difference between winning and losing rather than an all-powerful legion of supernatural knights.
Gareth Edwards, the director of the film, has stated that he wants this movie to really showcase the “war” in Star Wars. Though plot specifics haven’t been released, the movie will focus on the soldiers as they go into battle, through fear and bravery and real human emotions, taking inspiration from movies like Zero Dark Thirty and Saving Private Ryan. The movie will be grounded in concrete human problems while also providing the opportunity to explore different places in the Star Wars galaxy and explore more of the mythos without the overarching theme of the Jedi.
A completely CGI teaser was also released at the convention (filming has not yet started), and featured a shot of a rainforest-covered planet before zooming out to show the Death Star looming in orbit and concluding with radio distress calls that end abruptly, as if the feed has been cut. It was also hinted that because this movie will take place between Episode III and Episode IV (but closer to A New Hope), there might be opportunity for crossover with the current Disney series Star Wars Rebels as they take place at the same time.
Star Wars: Rogue One is scheduled for release in December 2016, while the next volume in the series, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, hits theaters on December 18 of this year. Another trailer for the movie was released this past week as well; you can check it out here.