Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

[johnnygobbs]

The first teaser trailer came out today:

I'm really looking forward to this.  It strikes me as potentially a little darker than the previous Star Wars films, yet still within this wonderful universe, and of course the story ties up to the events of Episodes IV to VI.

[Silver Nemesis]

  Can't wait for this! I hope the rumours about Peter Cushing posthumously returning as Tarkin are true.

[The Joker]

Those were some very cool visuals.

Especially the Death Star being put together and the AT-ATs from the POV of troops on the ground.

[Azrael]

"Should we end the trailer with the Imperial March, or the Force theme?"
"...why not both?"

[Silver Nemesis]

It looks like Lucasfilm is continuing with its commitment to practical effects work. The visuals were amazing in The Force Awakens, and they look absolutely beautiful here. Real sets, real location work, real costumes. It all creates a sense of tactile immersion you just don't get when 99% of the sets and characters are CG. But here it looks like Gareth Edwards has struck a nice balance between practical and digital effects.

It's great to see the Empire returning. The real Empire, not those First Order wannabes. I've always been a strong Imperial sympathiser. Whenever my friends and I would play videogames like Star Wars: Battlefront, we'd always play as the Empire. They have the best vehicles, the best uniforms, the best weapons, and of course the best British thespians.

I also like what I'm hearing about this movie being inspired by old WW2 films. I just hope there aren't any Jedi in it. I'd love to see Vader tearing into the Rebels with his lightsaber and Sith powers, but I don't want one of the heroes to suddenly whip out a lightsaber and start fighting back. Let's stick with regular warfare and leave the lightsaber duels to Episode VIII.

[Silver Nemesis]

Quite a few sites are listing Welsh actor Spencer Wilding as playing Vader. He's 6'7, which is around the same height as Dave Prowse in his prime.

[The Dark Knight]

Excellent. Vader is a given. I think it'd be really effective if Vader appeared near the end, killing all the main heroes we follow over the course of the journey. Making them tragic figures, ala the Bothans mentioned in ROTJ by Mon Mothma. And also convey just how much of a monster Vader is. Have the guy strut his stuff in his prime, but also have that element of loathing about the character. For example, we love him being bad, but stuff like offing younglings isn't endearing.

[johnnygobbs]

Excellent. Vader is a given. I think it'd be really effective if Vader appeared near the end, killing all the main heroes we follow over the course of the journey. Making them tragic figures, ala the Bothans mentioned in ROTJ by Mon Mothma. And also convey just how much of a monster Vader is. Have the guy strut his stuff in his prime, but also have that element of loathing about the character. For example, we love him being bad, but stuff like offing younglings isn't endearing.

But if this a prequel to ANH, shouldn't the Bothan annihilation wait for a later film that takes place between the events of TESB and ROTJ?

I do agree with you about Vader's nastiness however.  Episode III really caught the true extent of Anakin's evil when he slaughtered the young Padawans.

[Silver Nemesis]

Much as I like Revenge of the Sith (and I like it a lot more than most fans do), I admit I was disappointed that we never got to see cyborg Vader in action again during his prime. I'm hoping Rogue One will make up for that. There are rumours of a sequence in which POSSIBLE SPOILERS Vader takes to the battlefield and starts decapitating Rebel soldiers left right and centre, using the Force to levitate their dismembered limbs and create a shield to protect himself from blaster fire END SPOILERS. I hope this is true. The Star Wars anthology films are meant to be slightly more mature than the saga films, so they can afford to be a bit more gruesome.

And I'm very excited about the rumours concerning Tarkin. Supposedly rather than recast the role, Lucasfilm is using a mixture of deleted scenes from A New Hope and state-of-the-art CGI effects to resurrect Peter Cushing. Imagine seeing these guys on screen together for the first time since 1977.

The Force Awakens brought back a load of familiar heroes but pitted them against new villains. It sounds like Rogue One is bringing back familiar villains and setting them against a new band of heroes. I've heard rumours that POSSIBLE SPOILERS Ian McDiarmid END SPOILERS has been seen on set, suggesting the return of you-know-who. And a certain bounty hunter is also rumoured to appear. If all these rumours prove accurate, then Rogue One will assemble the cream of Original Trilogy villainy in a single film. The only person missing will be Jabba.

[Silver Nemesis]

This looks insanely beautiful. It's easily my most hyped film at the moment. A new trailer should be arriving shortly, but for now Lucasfilm has released these to whet our appetites: