“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Trailer Released

McKenzie Feldman
Staff Writer
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   The debut of the first Rogue One trailer was released Apr. 7, 2016. Rogue One is going to be a prequel set between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope that will be about a band of rebels on a mission to steal the plans for the Empire’s galactic super-weapon, the Death Star. Fan reactions are buzzing online as the film trailer has taken the sci-fi world by storm.
     Until now, Star Wars has been a typical battle of good versus evil. Rogue One looks as if it will introduce a different take at the sci-fi saga. Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One is the first of several planned spin-off movies. The plot contains a group led by Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones, set out to steal plans for the Death Star. This is similar to the same plans, it seems, that Princess Leia stored in the memory banks of R2-D2 back in 1977. 

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      The trailer is focused on Jyn Erso, painted as a rebel from the start. She is definitely a rogue, as an unnamed authority figure lists her many crimes. She makes it clear that she is a rebel and that she should be a part of the rebellion. She is adorned with a rundown brown vest and thick holster belt slung around her hips. Jyn Erso’s roguish appearance almost reminds fans of the Han Solo-style heroine. Many people are also comparing the advertised storyline to a futuristic Saving Private Ryan.
      The new trailer also raised lots of questions. Many wonder if Jyn Erso is Rey’s mother. Could she be the daughter of Luke? Han and Leia? The only thing that draws us away from this theory is that although she is handy with a gun, we do not see signs of Jyn being able to use the Force in this movie, and the Force is very strong with Rey. Also who is the man in the white cape? People are perceiving him as an Imperial officer of some sort, who will be played by Ben Mendelsohn. One other rumor is that Mendelsohn will play the father of Jyn Erso. This rumor revolves around the key reason the Rebels want to send in Erso. Her father, possibly Mendelsohn, is an officer with the Empire, so she would have an “in”. If the original Star Wars trilogy has taught us anything, it is that everyone is related. There is also a guy in a black cape in this trailer. Could this be Darth Vader? Again, this is one of the many apparent theories. Next, one very popular question is who will Forest Whitaker be playing? Will he be good or bad? The trailer makes him appear very terrifying but not necessarily villainous. All of these questions will soon be answered Dec. 16, 2016 when Rogue One premieres.  
      Overall, fans of the sci-fi saga are for the most part over the moon for this upcoming film, and Dec. 16 could not come soon enough!