Category Archives: Rogue One

Exclusive ‘Rogue One’ Videos From USA Today

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Via USAtoday.com:

Sometimes it isn’t easy being a Star Wars droid, even a scene-stealing one.

The former Imperial robot-turned-hero K-2SO was played via performance capture by Alan Tudyk in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (available on digital HD platforms Friday, Blu-ray/DVD April 4) and joins the likes of C-3PO, R2-D2 and BB-8 as mechanical characters who’ve taken Star Wars fandom by storm.

To play the 7-foot-tall and very snarky Kaytoo, Tudyk would don 13-inch stilts while filming scenes for the movie, which centers on the robot and his Rebel buddies such as Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) stealing the plans for the Empire’s super-weapon, the Death Star. But as revealed in the above exclusive behind-the-scenes clip, there were some scenes too awkward or dangerous for Tudyk to film while on stilts. In those instances, he wore a backpack rigged with a couple of poles and a cutout Kaytoo head to keep his eyeline in place.

“If there’s ever a time where I have to put that thing on (I thought), ‘Oh God, no, here it comes.’ It’s so awful,” says Tudyk, who was not that impressed by the “really rudimentary” piece of poster board that stood in for Kaytoo’s face. “Diego said, ‘Alan, it’s amazing how little respect you have on set right now.'”

Another fun fact: K-2SO was originally supposed to be a black protocol droid along the lines of C-3PO. The exclusive below video on Rogue One easter eggs discusses that and other cool Star Wars connections such as the droid that was a practical puppet designed by the folks who created BB-8, a turbo tank last seen in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and the first appearance of a TIE Reaper, a new twist on the iconic Imperial TIE Fighter.

ROGUE ONE VUDU VIEWING PARTY 3/24 & 10 DIGITAL COPIES GIVEAWAY INFO!

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Vudu is preparing to once again go back to a long time ago and visit a galaxy far, far away with the digital release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story! Part of this preparation is seeking out the most Rebellious fans the World Wide Web has to offer. We’re reaching out in hopes that you, the fans, can help us blow out the digital release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story! The newest entry in the Star Wars saga invades Vudu on Friday 3/24. 

Yodasnews has teamed up with Vudu to promote the #VUDUviewingparty on 3/24. During this event, VUDU fans, rebels and imperial sympathizers alike will be syncing their screenings of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and engaging in online banter, reactions and trivia contests for the duration of the movie. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s an experience you won’t soon forget. We’ve intercepted coded transmissions and curated a selection of prizes that are absolutely out of this world! During the course of the event we will be giving away several Star Wars collectibles, a RCA tablet, a PS4 bundle (including Star Wars Battlefront), and a 32” TCL LED TV!

Another great prize opportunity comes in the form of the Rogue One trivia contest! Fans who answer at least six questions correctly will be entered into a random drawing. One grand prize winner will receive a precision cast Darth Vader helmet replica and a Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prize pack! One first place winner will receive a limited edition Jyn Erso statue (only 500 made!), and a Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prize pack. Five second place winners will receive Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prize packs! (Prize packs include drawstring backpacks, messenger bags, keychains, hoodies, t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs and notebooks) – The Trivia is LIVE NOW – Click Here to Enter!  

Here are some links you will want to check out:

• Purchase page for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Pre-order now, available to watch 3/24)

• RSVP to the #VUDUviewingparty  (occurs 3/24, additional details about event found here)

• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trivia Contest – http://woobox.com/ozu4bu

• VuduFans on Twitter

And we have 10 Digital Copies to giveaway to our readers!  These codes can be redeemed at www.vudu.com/digitalcopy at any time. A credit card may be required to complete account setup but users will only be charged for additional content they rent or purchase. There will be no charge associated with redemption of your free copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Vudu is a US only service so this is only open to readers in the US. 

We will start by giving away TWO COPIES on Monday 3/20/2017! 

GARETH EDWARDS EXPLAINS WHY WE’LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE THOSE ‘ROGUE ONE’ ALTERNATE SCENES

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Via Fandango.com:

Much has been said about the moments from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story we’ve seen, just not in the actual movie. It’s no secret there were a lot of decisions made on this film late in the game, and because of it, there were images and footage that made it into marketing materials but never into the version that arrived in theaters.

For example, what was happening in the scene where a giant TIE fighter rises to confront Jyn Erso mere feet from where she’s standing? And what about the alternate version of that big final battle on Scarif, where Jyn and some of the other rebels actually have the Death Star plans in hand as they’re racing across the beach?

When Fandango sat down with director Gareth Edwards to discuss Rogue One, which arrives on digital platforms like FandangoNOW on March 24 before its Blu-ray release on April 4, we asked whether we’ll ever see that alternate footage, as well as why he decided not to put any deleted scenes on the upcoming Blu-ray.

“There’s not an individual scene that you can drag and drop and put on a Blu-ray,” he said. “There are little things that would come and go during the process of postproduction, but they’re not scenes. They’re more moments within the scenes or a single shot. So it’s impossible to be able to do that, and that’s why the decision was made.”

As for the moments like the aforementioned TIE fighter shot, Edwards explained why we won’t see how that fit into the overall story. “The stuff people talk about, like what they saw in the trailer, they’re not scenes you can just put on a DVD. They’re moments within scenes and threads, and you pull a thread and it all changes. It was changing the whole time. It’s not like there was one version and then there was this other version — it was like this thing that incrementally evolved constantly through all of postproduction and didn’t stop until there was a gun at our heads and we were forced to release the movie.”

When it comes to the TIE-fighter shot, Edwards is remaining quiet about it for now. “Yeah, it’s going to have to remain a myth because it’s sort of the thing where you’re trying ideas out to find the right version of the movie, and at the same time marketing is getting excited about certain shots and moments. Eventually, you’ll see something presented to you and you’ll be like, wait a minute, this shot is no longer in the film.”

Edwards added that we’ll never see an alternate version of that Scarif battle for a pretty simple reason: “The visual effects were never finished on it,” he said. “It’s not like there’s something sitting somewhere. I feel like making a film is like a sport where someone blows a whistle and that’s it — the score is what it is. And the goal is to win. If I could go back and do the film knowing what I know now, the final film would be completely different. I’d probably be willing to make Star Wars for the next 10 years and never let go of it — constantly trying to finesse and find new ideas. But at some point, it stops, and it is the movie. The film that got released, I feel like that is the film, and everything else is just the process of making it.”

Barista Misspells Director’s Name And A New Star Wars Planet Was Named

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Via Polygon.com:

Thanks, local barista

It’s always interesting to hear how names of characters, planets and objects came to be, and the origin behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’s new planet, Scarif, is no different.

Scarif, the planet where the first Death Star was constructed and an important military base for the Imperial army, received its name because of a goofy, unfortunate event. Director Gareth Edwards told a panel during South by Southwest (SXSW) that it was all thanks to a coffee cup sporting a misspelled name.

“I must have said, ‘It’s Gareth,’ and they wrote ‘Scarif,’” Edwards said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Scarif’s name isn’t the only aspect of the movie that has a close relationship to the director. Edwards hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session yesterday — following his talk at SXSW — where he confirmed he had a cameo in the film. Although the director wouldn’t say too much about it, he did admit the character he played on screen for a brief moment was “probably the savior of the entire rebellion.”

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released on Digital HD on March 24 and Blu-ray starting April 4.

How Translators Made Rogue One: Una Historia de Star Wars

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Via Io9.com:

Translation is one of the toughest jobs in Hollywood— especially when you’re dealing with one of the most popular franchises in the world. Remezcla and NPR’s Latino USA recently released a neat breakdown of how Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was translated into Spanish… and the history behind R2-D2’s infamous Latin American moniker.

During the profile, Katya Ojeda, the translator behind many Latin American versions of Star Wars films, shared how it wasn’t easy converting Rogue One into Spanish. Since Star Wars is one of the hottest things out there, and Disney is always wary of leaks, the translators and actors never actually got to see the movie while working on it. Instead, Ojeda had to translate from a rotoscoped version of the film. The entire screen was in black, and when the actors talked, little “bubbles” would open up so she could observe the lip movements. She said the script was only available on one computer, and there was no way to access it outside of working hours.

When it came to the actual voice acting, the actors had to rely on acting cues from dubbing director Héctor Gómez Gil, since he was the only one who actually got to see the film beforehand. Well… with one exception. Turns out, Diego Luna voiced his own character, Cassian Andor, for the Latin American version of the film. You can hear his performance in the trailer below.

Another challenge surrounds the specific terms that are unique only to Star Wars. Nowadays, Disney and Lucasfilm will send all translators a list of terms they’re supposed to use, like sable de luz instead of lightsaber. That’s mainly so they can coordinate with marketing and toy development. However, that wasn’t always the case, or at least it wasn’t as enforced. One of the most famous translations is the use of Arturito instead of R2-D2— a name many Latin American Star Wars fans still use fondly, even though it’s been updated for the newer films.

Here’s the full piece, which dives further into the differences between Spain and Latin America’s versions of the film, as well as other fascinating glimpses inside the art of creating una galaxia muy, muy lejana.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-Ray Box Cover Mistake?

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Via Epicstream.com:

Last week, Disney announced the home release date for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The film will be available on Digital HD March 24 and Blu-ray/DVD on April 4.  To hype fans up, they also released a home release trailer:

While many fans praised the packaging for Rogue One’s home release, some pointed out something wrong in its cover art.

If you look at the cover art closely, you’ll notice the TIE fighters are shooting out red lasers when they’re supposed to be shooting out green lasers. That may seem like a simple mistake but it’s a huge deal for many Star Wars fans. How did this mistake even get approved in the first place? There’s a chance that the red lasers are being shot at by X-Wings, but that’s unlikely since it’s out of frame and that all other ships are shooting forward. Even if the TIE Fighters on the top were being fired at, the one on the bottom would still be in question due to the fact that it’s emerging from where the blast is triggered, and that there’s no parallel laser beside it.

So what do you think about this mistake? Do you think that the designers of its cover art intended the red lasers to come out from the X-Wings and not the TIE Fighters?

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY on Digital HD March 24 and Blu-ray April 4

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Announced today on The Star Wars Show and StarWars.com, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will be coming home on Digital HD on March 24th and Blu-ray on April 4th. This news comes on the heels of the start of production announcement of the untitled Han Solo Star Wars Story. “Rogue One” has established its place within the Star Warsuniverse and the hearts of moviegoers, becoming the seventh highest-grossing film of all time in the U.S.

Arriving early on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on March 24, and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand on April 4, the release includes never-before-seen “Rogue One” bonus material that will take fans behind the scenes with the movie’s diverse, dynamic cast and inspired team of filmmakers. An intimate collection of stories reveals how the film came to life, as well as hidden Easter Eggs and film facts that audiences may have missed in the theater.

Bonus features include*:

A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.
Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.
Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.
K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.
Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.
Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary – Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.
The Empire – Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary…and cross paths once more with the most iconic villain of all time.
Visions of Hope: The Look of “Rogue One” – The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the original trilogy.
The Princess & The Governor – See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of “Star Wars: A New Hope” – as well as one of her most memorable foes– – back to the screen.
Epilogue: The Story Continues – Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue One’s premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star Wars stories yet to be told.
Rogue Connections – Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that connect “Rogue One” to the Star Wars universe.

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer.

 

More ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Visual Effects Secrets Revealed

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Via abcnews.go.com:

Industrial Light and Magic has released another clip breaking down the visual effects of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

This time, the effect-makers are pulling back the curtain on how artists created a digital version of Wilhuff Tarkin —- an Imperial baddie originally played by the late Peter Cushing in 1977’s “Star Wars A New Hope.”

It’s the latest in a series of “breakdown” clips that the legendary visual effects company cranked out in the last few days showcasing its work on three films nominated for Academy Awards: “Rogue One,” “Doctor Strange” and “Deepwater Horizon.”

Of course, fans can also check out other recent behind-the-scenes stories on the creation of Tarkin and Princess Leia, the droid K-2SO and classic “Star Wars” spaceships for “Rogue One”.

Lucasfilm, the production company behind “Star Wars,” is owned by ABC News’ parent company, Disney.

Star Wars Artists Reveal 2 Rogue One Changes

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Via Movieweb.com:

Reshoots have become quite commonplace among big budget movies lately, with most productions building these additional days of principal photography into the schedule before filming even starts. The box office blockbuster Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is no different, and while rumors persisted that the ending was changed considerably, LucasFilm’s Pablo Hidalgo revealed in December that the ending always remained the same. Today we have word from some of the concept artists who worked on the film, about some of the details that did change during the reshoot process. If you still haven’t seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story yet, there will be SPOILERS below, so read on at your own risk.

The Star Wars Hyperdrive Tumblr has a rundown from a recent event at London’s Gosh comic book shop, where Rogue One costume designers Glyn Dillon and Dave Crossman, as well as concept artists Adam Brockbank, Matt Allsopp, Vincent Jenkins, Jon Mccoy and Will Htay spoke about The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story book and the movie itself. During this Q&A session, it was revealed that the iconic character Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) was originally supposed to be on another planet. The artists revealed designs for both an ice planet, with designs that featured Snowtroopers and a different jungle planet, as seen in the first teaser, considered to be used as Saw’s home.

Eventually, those ideas were scrapped in favor of Saw Gerrera making his home on the holy planet of Jedha. The other major change was actually redesigned in the span of just a few hours. After spending two months on the citadel tower seen on Scarif, their work was completely scrapped and they had to redesign the tower in just two hours. While the artists didn’t clarify if the reshoots were responsible for this last-minute re-design or not, it’s possible that this additional photography played a role in Scarif tower’s new look.

The designers also mentioned that they wanted to use transport vehicles known as “CRAB-AT’s,” which resemble actual crabs, but they went with AT-ACT vehicles because they looked more familiar to fans. They spoke about not going “overboard” with new designs, which lead to a “conscious decision” to not introduce too many “new designs” into the film. The designers also added that they didn’t have the budget to use a tank, so they designed a “hover tank” around a real tank they had at their disposal. The designers also revealed that they were on set during the Darth Vader scene, with the concept artist working on different sketches while filming was under way.

The costume designers revealed that they have a bulk of Army surplus material to work with, which they used to create that “classic Star Wars feeling mixing otherworldly and worldly designs.” They also added that they would constantly look at the work of iconic Star Wars designer Ralph McQuarrie and storyboard designer Joe Johnston who they called the “unsung hero” of the franchise. They both created the “language” for Star Wars by bouncing ideas off one another during the original trilogy. The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story book is currently available for purchase, if you want to see all of these designs for yourself.

MADS MIKKELSEN TALKS ROGUE ONE

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Via Ign.com:

IGN chatted with actor Mads Mikkelsen on the phone this morning to discuss the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Doctor Strange, during which time we also got to ask him some more specific and slightly SPOILERISH post-release questions about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Here’s what Mikkelsen had to say about which of his scenes in Rogue One were part of the much talked about reshoots, the prospect of possibly revisiting the character of Imperial scientist Galen Erso in a different Star Wars project, and more.

Again, some minor spoilers follow.

IGN: Now that we’ve all seen the film, were any of your scenes part of the reshoots and if so can you explain what specifically was changed?

Mads Mikkelsen: I had one day of reshoots, and that was just basically just a few shots on a big platform when it was raining and I see my daughter again when she’s grown up, and that was mostly just technical stuff, and a little story thing just to clarify the story a little bit more. And that’s what the reshoots are for, and I think that’s quite normal. I had one day and I know other people had more, but you really never get that chance very often, to see the film and go, ‘You know guys, we could have a little better or a little clearer.’ We never get that chance, and I think it’s a beautiful thing that we were able to go back and do that.

IGN: There was a Star Wars book called Catalyst that explored the Galen/Krennic backstory. Did you read the book and would you like the opportunity to maybe ever depict some of that? Or Galen’s years with the Empire?

Mikkelsen: I think it’s a very interesting and valid point. You know, the Star Wars films have always been about dealing with the Rebellion, the people that are fighting the Empire. But it’s actually very interesting to go and see the people who actually are in the Empire, and I’m one of them. And surprisingly enough, the people of the Empire have families, and wives and daughters that they love. You know, they are the other guys we don’t know so much about. And I think it would be interesting to you know, to make a film about the people of the Empire. Who are they, and why? Are they evil? Or do they believe in something greater.

IGN: Well, there is always the chance for Galen to pop up in Rebels at one point, because of the show’s time frame. Would you be interested in that?

Mikkelsen: I’m game for it man, it’d be tricky, but I’d give it a shot.

‘Rogue One’ Gets Nine Empire Award Nominations

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Via Empireonline.com:

We asked, you answered and the nominations for the 2017 Three Empire Awards are now in, with Rogue One taking the lead. Gareth Evans’ Star Wars story scoops a total of nine nominations, including Best Film and Best Actress for Felicity Jones. Meanwhile, despite having been roundly snubbed by the Academy, Amy Adams’ outstanding performance in Arrival saw her land a well-earned nomination for Best Actress.

Like Adams, The Merc With A Mouth, saw scant love from most of the awards bodies but Deadpool received the recognition it deserves from Empire readers, landing a total of five nominations, including Best Actor for Ryan Reynolds.

You can see the full list of nominees below, but it’s not over yet! The second round of voting now begins in earnest, so scroll down, cast your votes and help decide who will be showered in glory when the Awards take place on Sunday 19 March.

Click below to see the full article.

JIMMY SMITS ON ROGUE ONE

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Via Rottentomatoes.com:
Smits spoke with Rotten Tomatoes recently about his role in the new series and about returning to the role of Bail Organa for 2016 blockbuster Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which so successfully provided connective tissue between the Star Wars prequels and the original trilogy.

RT: There were reshoots to Rogue One. Did you do any different versions of your scenes, like when you say, “I trust her with my life?”

Smits: No. That was one of the reasons why I did it, because that little scene there meant a lot to me. I’m so happy that the film has done well, because it meant a lot, I think, to the franchise to do this whole thing that the standalone films would be just as substantive and good as the others, so that they can have a life themselves.