First trailer for new Star Wars film, Rogue One hits the screens

It’s been a good and bad week for Star Wars — first, the good news: The Force Awakens was released on DVD. In bad news, Erik Bauersfeld, the voice of Admiral Ackbar (It’s a trap!) passed away. But on Thursday morning, there’s another indication of the changes in the franchise, as the trailer was released for the upcoming standalone movie, Rogue One.

The trailer gives us tantalizing hints of the Star Wars universe as it existed between the conclusion of Revenge of the Sith and the original, A New Hope. (It’s a universe already richly populated with books, but Star Wars canon has, to some extent, been reset for these new movies.)

The premise of the film is the daring mission to steal the Death Star plans, and, judging from the trailer, seems to have the gritty feel of the original films, not the flashy features of the prequel trilogy. The familiar laser blast noises are there, but crucially, the trailer’s absent the familiar zing of the lightsaber.

We see the newest hero, Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) walking, clapped in irons. To Mon Mothma, the matriarch of the Rebellion, she says, “This is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel.”

We see glimpses of the Rebel base, perhaps on Yavin 4, the jungle planet from which the Rebels staged their attack on the first Death Star. There are familiar sights, AT-AT walkers, which destroyed the Rebel base on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. There are Rebel pilots in their familiar orange jumpsuits, and X-wing fighters in the background.

And then there’s the Death Star itself; the trailer shows the giant laser being installed as a Star Destroyer floats past. There are black stormtroopers. Some rough looking characters. Potentially a new villain.

What we don’t see in this trailer is Darth Vader — will some younger incarnation of the villain show up in coming trailers? Or in the movie?

Rogue One will be in theatres in December.

My Thoughts

The Star Wars Rogue One movie I think is going to be a box office top seller. The latest movie, The Force Awakens made over 2 billion dollars. Star Wars Rogue One takes place shortly before the events of a New Hope. The story focuses on a group rebel spies on a mission to steal the plans of the Galactic Empires secret weapon, the Death Star. There are rumors speculating the return of the Sith Lord Darth Vader who is being played by a new actor. I have also heard Vaders bounty hunter Bobba Fett, from the original Star Wars movies has returned. So many fans have followed these movies and I personally am looking forward to watching it in theaters. I would like to see lots of lightsaber action. May the force be with you!