Jyn Erso is the main character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. She’s played by Felicity Jones. (YouTube/Disney)
One more trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released on Thanksgiving Day, paired with the news that tickets will be going on sale on Monday. This week, we also had news from Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who dropped some intriguing bits about the future of the franchise in interviews.
Here’s a look at some of the big Star Wars news of the week.
New ‘Rogue One’ Trailer Released
The one-minute trailer was a surprise, and came during a Disney ABC special on Thanksgiving night. The trailer definitely works better than some of the longer ones, which tried to focus on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) while also explaining what the band of rebels are trying to accomplish. This new one cuts to the chase – the group wants to steal the plans for the Death Star to save the galaxy.
It should also make it even more clear to those still wondering when exactly this movie takes place on the Star Wars timeline. It’s set just before the events in A New Hope and explains how the Death Star plans made it into Princess Leia’s hands.
‘Rogue One’ Tickets Go on Sale Cyber Monday & IMAX Locations Revealed
This is the poster you will get for free when you see Rogue One on opening night in an IMAX theater. (IMAX)
Cyber Monday isn’t just for deals and Christmas gifts. It’s also the day that tickets for Rogue One go on sale, Fandango announced on Thursday. Tickets will go on sale at Monday, November 28 at 12:01 a.m. ET.
IMAX revealed the select locations where you can see Rogue One in 2D on IMAX 70mm projection. If you see the movie at any of those locations on December 15, 24 and 31, you get a special collector’s ticket. If you see the movie on December 18, 25 or January 1 at an AMC IMAX theater, you get a free poster. An exclusive poster will also be available when you see the movie on opening night at any theater with an IMAX theater.
Kathleen Kennedy Teases the Future of ‘Star Wars’
Ben Mendelsohn plays Director Krennic in ‘Rogue One.’ (Disney/LucasFilm).
Kathleen Kennedy, the producer of the Star Wars movies and president of Lucasfilm, did a couple of important interviews this week to break down the future of the Star Wars franchise. After all, outside of the last two movies in the sequel trilogy, the only project on the schedule is the 2018 Young Han Solo movie.
In her Variety interview, Kennedy said that the Han Solo movie, which is being directed by LEGO Movie masterminds Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, will feel like a Western.
“We’ve talked about [Frederic] Remington and those primary colors that are used in his paintings defining the look and feel of the film,” she said, referencing the American painter famed for his art of the West during the late 19th Century.
Kennedy dropped some more noteworthy tid-bits in an Entertainment Weekly interview. She said that there is a “conversation going on right now” about how the franchise will continue after Episode IX opens in 2019. Will there just be stand-alone films or more Skywalker adventures?
“I have to honestly tell you, could we [do nothing but standalones]? Sure. But I don’t know. We are looking at all of that,” she said.
Kennedy also said that Rogue One will “more than likely” not have an opening crawl. You would think that decision has been made by now, since Rogue One opens in three weeks!
Kennedy told Variety that they are thinking about bringing a female director in for a Star Wars movie. “We want to make sure that when we bring a female director in to do Star Wars, they’re set up for success. They’re gigantic films, and you can’t come into them with essentially no experience,” she said. (That comment seems a bit odd, because male directors like Episode IX‘s Colin Treverrow and Rogue One‘s Gareth Edwards both had little experience beyond a small-budget indie before making Jurassic World and Godzilla, respectively.)
Rogue One hits theaters on November 16, with first screenings starting the night before. Click below to meet the cast.