There’s been cause for concern with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. While at least some form of by-committee filmmaking is expected of, oh, every blockbuster, the Lucasfilm banner under Kathleen Kennedy gave some (e.g. yours truly) the impression of a different direction — something that has a bottom line, yes, but which is willing to go in unique creative directions to get there. The hiring of Gareth Edwards, hot off a truly impressive display in Godzilla (not often you can say that), only boosted the impression that another Star Wars prequel would be a good idea.
It may very well turn out that way, but word that new voices have been taking hold late into the film’s assembly — thanks to well-publicized reshoots whose intentions get conflicting reports — don’t contradict the notion that we’re getting something more digestible for the four quadrants. And it’s not as if we expected Marketa Lazarová in the first place. Such is the nature of Star Wars that even something slightly outside the norm proves intriguing.
What the latest trailer sells us is another Star Wars movie, and, with the team at hand, it’s as enticing as they get. With a cast led by Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Mads Mikkelson, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, Jonathan Aris, and James Earl Jones, see the new preview and poster below:
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will open on December 16.