Category Archives: Rogue One

Which Rogue One Star Has Never Seen a Star Wars Movie?

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Via Movieweb.com:

It’s no surprise that the Star Wars spin-off Rogue One is a bona fide box office hit. Earlier this week, it passed $600 million at the worldwide box office. The franchise is one of the most beloved in cinematic history, with all eight movies released so far earning a whopping $3.5 billion domestically and $7.3 billion worldwide. With all that being said, it’s quite surprising to learn that one of the Rogue One stars, Wen Jiang, has never seen any Star Wars movie before.
The news comes from director Gareth Edwards, who revealed in this juiy bit of gossip in a lengthy conversation on Empire with the entire cast. The director says that Wen Jiang’s character Baze Malbus, and his longtime friend Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) are inspired by characters from the Akira Kurosawa classic The Hidden Fortress. Here’s what the director had to say about these characters, before dropping the bombshell that Wen Jiang has never seen a Star Wars movie before.

“It was definitely a deliberate thing to have diverse characters. Because Star Wars is so diverse – they have walking carpets and droids. It’s about as diverse as it gets. But what happened is things evolved. Like, you know, you’ve got Star Wars and you’ve got to make a film [set just] before it. So what do you do? One of the things you can do is look at the things that inspired George and go back to them and see if you can branch off in a different direction. One of the main things that inspired him was Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress. And there were two characters in particular that inspired C-3PO and R2D2, and they were these Japanese slave-servants who bickered all the time. And I was thinking, ‘why don’t we just do that but without making them robots?’ So that started off being Baze and Chirrut. It feels right that there’d be Asian characters in Star Wars, because it’s got such Asian influences. And because it’s Star Wars, you can kind of go for anyone: ‘Who are the best Asian actors in the world?’ Though, what’s funny is, Jiang Wen, who plays Baze, has never seen Star Wars in his life.”

Gareth Edwards revealed that he didn’t want Wen Jiang to watch Star Wars during the production, because he thought it’d be funny if he got to the world premiere and one of his stars had never seen a Star Wars movie before. As it turns out, there is a very good reason that Wen Jiang has never seen Star Wars, since he grew up in a much different time in China. Here’s what the actor had to say below, revealing he plans to fill his gap in Star Wars knowledge soon.

“I know nothing about them. Because when I grew up, there were no American movies in China. That was Cold War time, so no Star Wars. Now there’s no Cold War, we can have Star Wars. So I will see it after I finish this movie, from beginning to end.”

Given how Rogue One ends, it’s possible we may never see Wen Jiang’s Baze Malbus again, but it’s also possible that he could return in future spin-offs set before the events of Rogue One, or in the animated TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. We reported earlier this month that Forest Whitaker will return to provide the voice for his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character Saw Gerrera in an upcoming episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is set several years before the events of Rogue One. Hopefully we’ll find out more about whether or not LucasFilm has plans to bring back Baze Malbus or any of the other Rogue One characters in the near future.

Another Rogue One Character in Star Wars Rebels??

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Via Themarysue.com:
We already know that we’ll be getting a ton more Saw Gerrera via Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels and that Forest Whitaker, who played him in Rogue One, will be voicing the character. It’s also quite possible that another rebel we got to know in Rogue One could be making their way to the small screen.

According to CBR.com, Pablo Hidalgo’s Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide links Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor to the Star Wars Rebels universe. In the book, it says that “one of Andor’s ‘operational aliases’ is listed as ‘FULCRUM,’ a ‘Recruitment agent in Albarrio sector.’ That codename has been used twice before on Rebels for secret informants; it was originally the codename of Ahsoka Tano and has since been taken on by Imperial Agent Kallus.”

Since Star Wars Rebels takes place five years before A New Hope while Rogue One comes right before it, we know that somewhere between Rebels Season Three and Rogue One, Cassian is supposed to end up with that code name. Meanwhile, the guide lists Cassian as 26 years old, and in the film, he talks about having been a rebel since he was 6 years old. So, Cassian was definitely an active rebel during Star Wars Rebels elsewhere in the galaxy.

What we don’t know for sure is whether that means Cassian will make an appearance on the show, or when, only that it’s totally possible. It would be pretty amazing to see more of pre-Jyn Erso Cassian in action, I’ve gotta say. And if they got Diego Luna to voice him? EEEK!

Star Wars: Rogue One Originally Had Bigger Plans for Saw Gerrera

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Via Gamespot.com:

“We originally thought we were going to develop Saw into something much larger, but we couldn’t accommodate it.”

Not only did Star Wars: Rogue One originally have a wildly different ending, but the filmmakers have now revealed they had bigger plans for one of the Rebel characters. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Empire (via Collider) that the original plan was for Forest Whitaker’s character, Saw Gerrera, to have a “much larger” presence in the sci-fi spinoff.

“To be honest, we originally thought we were going to develop Saw into something much larger, but we couldn’t accommodate it. So he is not in the movie as much as we would like to have him in the movie, which creates the opportunity to explore his character even further in our future development.”

Whitaker himself is also quoted in the Empire story. He said, “I’m curious about what else they’re about to do. Because they seem to really like the character, which is great!”

Kennedy’s “future development” line could be a reference to Gerrera’s ongoing store in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Collider surmises that it might be possible for him to show up in future anthology movies, though this is not confirmed.

Rogue One arrived in theaters on December 16 and was the No. 1 movie worldwide. It has to date made more than $500 million around the globe.

“Enormously Different” Versions of ‘Rogue One’ Were Shot

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Via Collider.com:
Before Rogue One was in theaters, Disney held a huge press junket for the film in San Francisco. Unlike Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where we interviewed the cast without seeing anything but the trailers, Disney showed us almost thirty minutes of the film at Skywalker Ranch so reporters could learn more about the story and new characters since Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. Like I said on Twitter and during a Facebook Live chat, the footage was fantastic and left all of us wanting more.

What I loved about the footage and film is that even though Rogue One takes place before the events of Episode IV, it feels completely unique and original. It looks and feels like a war movie that happens to take place in the Star Wars universe. In the footage, we saw plenty of scenes showing how the Empire is trying to take control of the universe and the brutality that happens when you try and resist. Part of the reason it feels like a war movie is because that’s what director Gareth Edwards set out to make. As you can see him explain in this interview, he shot Rogue One like a documentary embedded in a war zone. And after seeing the footage, I can say he succeeded.

During my print interview with Ben Mendelsohn he talked about how he landed the role, if the story changed compared to what he was told going in, how they would shoot different versions of the same scene to give Gareth Edwards choices in the editing room, what it’s been like working for Steven Spielberg on Ready Player One, Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, and a lot more.

Click below to read the full article.

Big-Figs Star Wars Rogue One 19″ Death Trooper

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Straight out of Star Wars: Rogue One comes the Jakks BIG-FIGS 19″ Imperial Death Trooper. The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam. This incredible 20-inch scale BIG-FIGS Death Trooper features seven points of articulation for fully posable action and includes two blaster accessories to eliminate those who stand in the way of the Empire. Celebrate the excitement and action of Rogue One with Jakks’ BIG-FIGS 19″ Death Trooper.

Click Here to grab one for only $19.99 and check out our in hand image gallery below!

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DOUG CHIANG ON DESIGNING ROGUE ONE

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Via Starwars.com:

THE STAR WARS LEGEND DISCUSSES CREATING A SITH LORD’S CASTLE, MENACING NEW STORMTROOPERS, AND MUCH MORE.

For Doug Chiang, Rogue One wasn’t just the first Star Wars stand-alone film. It wasn’t just the telling of a major tale in Star Wars lore. It was, as StarWars.com found out in the interview below, something much more personal: the chance to really fulfill a childhood-turned-professional dream. As Lucasfilm’s VP and executive creative director, Chiang, a peerless concept artist, has been a key figure in crafting the look of Star Wars since the prequel trilogy. But Rogue One took Star Wars back to the future, as it were, with a story set right before the first film made in the saga, A New Hope. This meant that Chiang, co-production designer on Rogue One, would need to design ships and characters and creatures that were visually in sync with the movie that started it all — and the movie that made perhaps the biggest impact on his life. It was a unique if not ironic challenge, and the creative journey — of Chiang and many more great Lucasfilm designers — is documented in Abrams’ beautiful The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, available now. Armed with spreads from the book, of which Chiang wrote the foreword, StarWars.com visited the artist in his office to discuss creating Episode IV-style designs, the dark-side architectural theory behind Darth Vader’s castle, and why thin stormtroopers are actually scarier.

Click below to read the full article.

Star Wars Big Figs Rogue One 18″ Jyn Erso Action Figure

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Sergeant Jyn Erso, A highly skilled soldier in the Rebel Alliance, Jyn Erso is an impetuous, defiant warrior eager to bring the battle to the Empire. This incredible 20-inch-scale BIG-FIGS Jyn Erso features 7 points of articulation for fully poseable action and includes her unique blaster that she uses to combat the Empire. Celebrate the excitement and action of Rogue One with Jakks’ BIG-FIGS 18” Jyn Erso!

Click Here to grab one for only $15.25 and check out our in hand image gallery below!

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‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Strong At The Box Office

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Via Latimes.com:

The holiday spirit is strong with “Rogue One,” as the “Star Wars” spinoff continued its stranglehold on the box office for the second consecutive weekend.

“Rogue One” took in around $14 million Saturday, placing it on a trajectory to potentially rake in $105 million during the four-day holiday weekend to bring its likely domestic total to well over $300 million since its Dec. 15 release.

Winning the battle for second place appears to be Universal Pictures’ “Sing,” an animated tale of a koala attempting a last-ditch effort to save his theater by holding a reality show-style singing competition.

From production company Illumination Entertainment, “Sing” is buoyed by several celebrity voice performances, including Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johansson.

Click below to read the full article.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Official Collector’s Edition

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Official Collector’s Edition is out now!

This essential guide to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brings the brand new Star Wars movie to life, with detailed information and extensive images depicting the characters and worlds explored in Rogue One, as well as presenting unseen concept art!

Meet the key players, learn more about the ships, the weapons, and the hardware as the team behind Star Wars Insider take you to a galaxy far, far away!

TWO COVERS TO COLLECT!


Rebels Cover


Imperials Cover

‘Rogue One’ Scores Massive $155 Million Debut

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Via Fortune.com:

The “Star Wars” prequel scored the second largest December opening in history.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sold out multiplexes around the country and brought fanboys and fangirls out in force over the weekend. The Star Wars prequel scored the second largest December opening in history, the second largest launch of the year, and one of the top debuts in history, opening to a massive $155 million.

Globally, the film has earned $290.5 million, after touching down in nearly every major foreign market save for China and South Korea.

Disney DIS 1.74% , which shelled out $4 billion to buy Star Wars creator LucasFilm in 2012, had been trying to downplay expectations for Rogue One. Executives noted that the film is the first Star Wars movie to exist outside of the main Skywalker clan storyline. It’s also a darker, war-themed tale; one that has an unusually high body count for a popcorn flick.

But the Star Wars pedigree proved irresistible to audiences, and the film seems positioned to play well through the holidays. Disney is planning to do more Rogue One-style spinoffs. The company is already working on a film about the early years of Han Solo that will star Alden Ehrenreich.

Click below to read the full article.

Rogue One $29 Million is Biggest Thursday Preview of 2016

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Via Variety.com:

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has landed with a massive $29 million in Thursday night preview showings in North America.

It was the biggest Thursday preview of the year ahead of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” with $27.7 million and “Captain America: Civil War” with $25 million — and the seventh-largest of all time. “Rogue One” took in $3.7 million in North America from 401 Imax screens on Thursday night in the widest domestic release for the giant-screen format.

The eighth Star Wars movie has also begun its international run with $33 milllion in its first two days on Wednesday and Thursday with $5 million in the U.K, $3.6 million in Australia and $3.1 million each from Germany and France. “Rogue One” posted the highest opening day of 2016 in Australia, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Scandinavia and Switzerland.

“Rogue One” is set to be the biggest hit of the current holiday movie season and one of the biggest blockbusters of this or any year.

New audio ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY by Alexander Freed, read by Jonathan Davis

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Just in time for the holidays, the latest adventure in the Star Wars galaxy has arrived. From author Alexander Freed, Random House Audio presents the audiobook of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Digital download on sale today, CD on sale 12/22/16).

The latest story in the Star Wars universe begins with the shadows of the Empire looming ever larger across the galaxy. If the worlds at the Empire’s mercy stand any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies: Jyn Erso, a resourceful young woman seeking vengeance; Cassian Andor, a rebel commander on a mission of assassination; Bodhi Rook, a defector from the Empire’s military; Chirrut Ïmwe, a blind holy man and his crack-shot companion, Baze Malbus; and K-2SO, a deadly Imperial droid turned against its former masters. In their hands rests the new hope that could turn the tide toward a crucial Rebellion victory—if only they can capture the plans to the Empire’s new weapon.

This thrilling new adventure is read by Star Wars audio veteran Jonathan Davis, whose voice fans will recognize from previous titles such as, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Rebel Stand, Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars: Shatterpoint. With Davis at the helm and the exciting story from Alexander Freed, this is an audiobook not to miss, click here or below to pick this up!