Lucasfilm is embarking in their first Star Wars "experiment" in just a few weeks with the pending release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The movie is the eighth live-action film in the universe and will simultaneously serve as both a prequel and spin-off film.
What makes this new spin-off truly stand apart from the rest of the series is that the narrative doesn't center on a Skywalker. Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is telling an isolated war story (albeit a crucial one) within a larger intergalatic conflict. It was even revealed that Rogue One will not spawn a sequel, according to producer Kathleen Kennedy, however that doesn't mean that it's not all connected.