Now that the calendar has flipped to December 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is only weeks away. In the very near future, Lucasfilm will hold the film's world premiere, followed shortly by the lifting of the review embargo. After the overwhelming critical and commercial success of The Force Awakens last year, many are anxious to see if the the first live-action spinoff can continue the franchise's newfound forward momentum. Based on the advanced ticket sales, the series remains in great shape, though reports about Rogue One's infamous reshoots continue to hang over the movie like a dark cloud.
Still, the film has drummed up a considerable amount of buzz and excitement as the highly-visible marketing campaign delivered several well-received trailers and TV spots. The footage shown thus far has highlighted all the incredible action and emotional character moments one would want out of a Star Wars film. Jyn Erso and her father Galen seem to be the heart of the narrative, giving the Rebellion's mission to steal the Death Star plans personal undertones that should make it more compelling. Many of the previews have depicted the moment where a young Jyn is separated from her family, and this sequence is going to be the opening of Rogue One.
In an interview with My TFI (hat tip Star Wars News Net), director Gareth Edwards was asked about the beginning of Rogue One, where he discussed the prologue that kicks things off:
"There is no opening crawl. But there is a prologue at the beginning of the film that takes place 15 years before the action of the film and that is how the action is exposed. Our film comes from the text of Episode IV if we give the text, it would be endless. We really had to differentiate Rogue One from the rest of the saga."
While it's long been reported that Rogue One will be the first Star Wars film sans opening crawl, this is the first bit of confirmation on how exactly the film will open. It really isn't all that surprising Edwards went with the flashback, since it has strong connections to the main plot of the movie. Director Orson Krennic is in charge of completing the Death Star, and Galen is a brilliant scientist whose research holds the key to developing the turbo laser. This should be an effective and efficient way of setting up the basic conflict, as well as establishing Jyn Erso's character motivations. Her father was taken away from her at a young age, and now she has a chance to find him.
Edwards was also asked about potential original trilogy cameos Rogue One may have. He frankly said "No" to a Luke Skywalker appearance, but was far more coy in regards to Princess Leia and R2-D2. Edwards' response there was "I cannot answer," which will surely add fuel to the rumors that the Alliance icons will show up at some point in the spinoff. Both would be logical inclusions, considering Rogue One's proximity in the timeline to A New Hope. It was Leia who was tasked with delivering the Death Star readouts once they were stolen, so it wouldn't be a shock to see the character and her faithful astromech droid towards the end. Franchise movies have a tendency to shoehorn in fan favorites for the sake of nostalgia, but this is an instance where it would be a natural fit.
NEXT: Why Rogue One Doesn't Need An Opening Crawl
Source: My TFI (via Star Wars News Net)
