Moviegoers are impatiently counting down the days until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first live-action spinoff in the beloved franchise. Many fans have already purchased their tickets for opening weekend, which is expected to be one of the more lucrative in December's history. After Lucasfilm has put together another strong marketing campaign, there's a palpable sense of excitement as viewers look forward to another journey in the galaxy far, far away.
With just two weeks to go until the film's theatrical release, the studio has entered the phase of advertising where some clips are starting to make their way online. Recently, fans got a look at a battle sequence on Jedha where Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor fought against stormtroopers. Now, their conversation prior to arriving on the world is the subject of another Rogue One clip, which was shared during a special live-stream event today. You can watch it above.
The moment is clearly from the first act, as Jyn and Cassian are definitely unfamiliar with each other. K-2SO is alarmed when he notices that Jyn has a blaster, which was not given to her by any Alliance leaders. Cassian attempts to take the weapon from Jyn, but she convinces him to let her keep it by saying, "Trust goes both ways." Apparently, the Rebellion captain isn't entirely sure of Jyn's intentions and views her as a wild card. The clip ends with an amusing rant by K-2SO, with the droid informing Cassian that there's a strong probability Jyn uses the blaster against him. The trio then fly off to Jedha, where their mission is to extract members of Saw Gerrera's extremist cell.
One thing this bit does very well is illustrate Rogue One's tonal balance. Cassian's interaction with Jyn is highly tense and dramatic, but there is also an element of humor thanks to Kaytoo's remarks ("I find that answer vague and unconvincing"). From the beginning, the anthology film has been sold as a hard-hitting war picture in space, but it's nice to see that the screenplay will include some levity. Even The Empire Strikes Back - frequently regarded as the "darkest" series installment - had a couple of laugh-out-loud lines. Viewers should be encouraged that Rogue One doesn't look like it will be too serious or po-faced, which will hopefully make it a well-rounded endeavor.
It won't be long now until moviegoers find out if Rogue One lives up to the hype. Lucasfilm is holding the world premiere next weekend on Saturday, December 10, and the professional review embargo lifts on December 13. Reports about the film's extensive reshoots continue to swirl around, but everyone involved with the project remains excited and optimistic. Chances are, Rogue One will continue the franchise's resurgence and start the anthology series on a high note.
Source: Disneyland Experience
