The cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Image via Lucasfilm/Disney
It’s been a scant four months since the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the behemoth Disney franchise is already gearing up for this year’s offering, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Many may remember with some degree of disapprobation the veritable blitz of Force Awakens teasers and trailers we were assaulted with last year, so these early signs of an even more intense campaign on the part of Rogue One should have us all quaking in our boots.
Perhaps we should just turn the internet off until this is all over.
Yesterday (6 April), saw the Star Wars Twitter account announcing the imminent airing of the teaser trailer with… another teaser trailer.
The teaser trailer teaser trailer came in at just 11 seconds, almost all of which is text rather than actual footage. The only glimpse of the movie itself features a be-helmeted character turning his or her head.
Tune in to @GMA tomorrow for the debut of the brand new teaser trailer for ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY. #RogueOnehttps://t.co/7YRmkk7rvW
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 6, 2016
The actual teaser aired on Good Morning America today (7 April).
Rogue One was rumoured to focus on a father and daughter duo who try to atone for the sins of the father (designing the Death Star) with an elaborate heist.
While the teaser neither confirms nor denies this, it certainly looks as though the rumour mill was a little off base.
Rogue One appears to continue in the vein of Force Awakens, bringing us a renewed vision of the Star Wars universe, and placing another badass woman – the answer to Force Awakens’ Rey – at its helm.
The trailer focuses on Felicity Jones’ character – a rebel through and through – who brings a rap sheet (and no doubt a unique set of vaguely criminal skills) to proceedings.
Jones is tasked with uncovering details of a new weapon, and discovering how to destroy it. That weapon? The Death Star.
The action looks solid, as does the acting. And, if the teaser is anything to go by, there’ll be plenty here to keep fans happy, not least the return of the AT-ATs and a tantalising glimpse of who we can only expect to be Vader himself.
Plenty for new initiates too, though, from ninjas to explosions, to a brand new cast not yet associated with the existing space opera.
Forest Whittaker and Diego Luna also feature in the trailer, as well as a host of other new characters and recognisable actors.
But as for more plot? Character details? We’ll have to wait for the next inevitable trailer to find out.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is not part of the current trilogy, and will step outside the Star Wars arc we’re most familiar with, introducing a host of new characters and playing more story-adjacent than story-integral.
The next instalment of the Star Wars chronicles will hit theatres on 16 December.
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