Rogue One (or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay was written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy inspired by a story idea from John Knoll and developed by Gary Whitta. The film was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series, and an immediate prequel to Star Wars (1977).[a] The main cast consists of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. Set a week before the events of Star Wars, the plot follows a group of rebels who band together to steal plans of the Death Star, the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire. It details the Rebel Alliance's first effective victory against the Empire, first referenced in Star Wars' opening crawl.
Omitting the customary opening crawl and transitional screen wipes from the traditional Star Wars films, the film was intended to be different in tone and style and shot more like a war film. Principal photography on the film began at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, in early August 2015 and wrapped in February 2016. The film then went through extensive reshoots in mid-2016. The film's score was composed by Michael Giacchino, rather than John Williams, who composed the score of all prior Skywalker Saga films up to that point. With an estimated production budget of $200–280.2 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Rogue One premiered in Los Angeles on December 10, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 16. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its acting, story, visuals, musical score, cinematography, and the darker and more serious tone compared to previous Star Wars films, but criticism for its pacing, characters, and digital recreations of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia. It grossed over $1 billion worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as second-highest-grossing film of 2016. It received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. A prequel television series, titled Andor, premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on September 21, 2022.
Research scientist Galen Erso and his family hide on the planet Lah'mu when Imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic arrives to press him into completing the Death Star, a superweapon capable of destroying planets. Galen's wife Lyra is killed in the confrontation while their daughter Jyn escapes and is rescued by rebel extremist Saw Gerrera.
Fifteen years later, cargo pilot Bodhi Rook defects from the Empire, taking a holographic message from Galen to Saw on the moon Jedha. Rebel Alliance intelligence officer Cassian Andor learns of the Death Star and Bodhi's defection from an informant. Jyn is freed from an Imperial labor camp on Wobani and is brought to the Rebels' base on Yavin IV, where Rebel leader Mon Mothma convinces her to find Galen so the Alliance can learn more about the superweapon. Cassian is covertly ordered to aid Jyn but to kill Galen rather than extract him.
Jyn, Cassian, and reprogrammed former Imperial droid K-2SO travel to Jedha, where the Empire loots kyber crystals to power the Death Star. In Jedha City, Saw and his partisans are engaged in an armed insurgency against the Empire and Jyn and Cassian get caught in the crossfire. Aided by blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe and his mercenary friend Baze Malbus, Jyn makes contact with Saw, who is holding Bodhi. Saw shows her the message in which Galen reveals he has secretly built a vulnerability into the Death Star. The schematics are located in an Imperial data vault on the planet Scarif.
Onboard the Death Star, Krennic orders a test fire, which destroys Jedha City. Jyn and her group take Bodhi and flee the moon, but Saw remains there to die. Imperial governor Grand Moff Tarkin congratulates Krennic before using Bodhi's defection as a pretext to take control of the Death Star. Bodhi leads the group to Galen's Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu, where Cassian hesitates to kill Galen. Rebel bombers then attack the facility. Galen is wounded and dies in Jyn's arms before she escapes with her group on a stolen Imperial cargo shuttle. Krennic is summoned by Darth Vader to answer for the attack on Jedha City. Krennic seeks his support for an audience with the Emperor, but Vader instead force-chokes him and orders him to ensure no further problems occur.
Jyn proposes a mission to steal the Death Star schematics, but the Alliance Council feels there is no chance of victory. Frustrated at their inaction, Jyn's group leads a small squad of volunteers, which Bodhi dubs "Rogue One," to raid the vault. Using the stolen Imperial shuttle, they gain access through the planet's shield. Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO infiltrate the base while the others attack the Imperial garrison as a diversion.
The Alliance learns of the raid from intercepted Imperial communications and deploys their fleet in support, leading to a space battle against the Imperial fleet. K-2SO sacrifices himself so Jyn and Cassian can retrieve the data. Chirrut is killed after activating the switch to allow communication with the Rebel fleet, and Baze is killed shortly afterward. Bodhi is killed by a grenade after informing the Rebel fleet that it must deactivate the planetary shield to allow the transmission of the plans. Rebel Admiral Raddus uses a Rebel ship to crash two Imperial Star Destroyers into each other; the wreckage destroys the shield generator. Jyn obtains the schematics but is ambushed by Krennic, who is shot and wounded by Cassian. Jyn transmits the schematics to the Rebel command ship moments before the Death Star arrives above Scarif, commanded by Tarkin. He orders the Death Star to destroy the citadel, killing everyone including Krennic, Cassian, and Jyn.
The Rebel fleet prepares to jump to hyperspace, but many ships are intercepted by Vader's Star Destroyer. Vader boards the Rebel command ship and kills many troops trying to regain the schematics, but a smaller ship[b] escapes with the plans. Aboard the fleeing ship as it enters hyperspace, Princess Leia Organa declares that the schematics will provide hope for the Rebellion.
Jimmy Smits, Genevieve O'Reilly, Anthony Daniels, and Jimmy Vee reprise their roles from previous films as Bail Organa,[21] Mon Mothma,[22] C-3PO,[23] and R2-D2,[23] respectively; Vee is uncredited for his role. James Earl Jones also reprises his role from previous films as the voice of Darth Vader,[24] who is physically portrayed by Spencer Wilding during the meeting with Krennic and aboard the Star Destroyer, and by Daniel Naprous at the end of the movie.[25][26][27] Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia Organa are played by Guy Henry and Ingvild Deila respectively, with the digital likenesses of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher superimposed.[28][29] Henry also provides the voice for Tarkin, while archival audio of Fisher is used for Leia's dialogue.[30] Angus MacInnes and Drewe Henley are featured as Gold Leader Dutch Vander and Red Leader Garven Dreis respectively, via unused footage from A New Hope; MacInnes returned to record new dialogue for Vander, while new dialogue for the deceased Henley was assembled from archival material.[23][31][32][33] David Ankrum, who voiced Wedge Antilles in A New Hope, reprises his role in a vocal cameo.[32][34] Ian McElhinney, Michael Smiley, Andy de la Tour, and Tim Beckmann play General Jan Dodonna, Dr. Evazan, General Hurst Romodi, and Captain Raymus Antilles, respectively.[32] Warwick Davis plays Weeteef Cyubee, a member of Saw Gerrera's Partisans.[35] Dave Filoni reprises his role as C1-10P from Star Wars Rebels.[36] Stephen Stanton voices Admiral Raddus, while Paul Kasey appears in costume as the alien character on-screen.[37][38]
Duncan Pow plays Ruescott Melshi,[39] a sergeant in the Rebel Alliance. Additionally, Alistair Petrie plays General Davits Draven,[10] Ben Daniels plays General Antoc Merrick,[40] and Valene Kane plays Lyra Erso, Jyn's mother.[41] Jonathan Aris,[42] Fares Fares,[43][44] and Sharon Duncan-Brewster appear as Senators Nower Jebel, Vasp Vaspar, and Tynnra Pamlo, respectively. Simon Farnaby plays a member of Blue Squadron.[23] Jordan Stephens appears as Rebel Alliance member Corporal Tonc.[23] Nick Kellington plays Bistan, a door gunner on a U-wing during the battle on Scarif.[45] Ian Whyte plays Moroff, a member of Saw Gerrera's Partisans.[46] Daniel Mays appears as Tivik. Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman, director and producer of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, respectively, cameo as two Death Star technicians.[47]
In 2003, during the production of Episode III in Sydney, John Knoll, the visual effects supervisor for all three prequels, pitched an episode for the unproduced series Star Wars: Underworld.[48] At the time, he had written a short treatment called "Destroyer of Worlds".[49] After the Disney acquisition he felt as though he had to pitch it again or forever wonder "what might've happened if I had."[50][51] In May 2014, Disney announced that Gareth Edwards would direct the film and that Gary Whitta would write the script.[52] In October of the same year, cinematographer Greig Fraser revealed that he was hired to work on the film.[53] In January 2015, it was revealed that Whitta had completed his work on the script, and would no longer be involved with the project.[54] Simon Kinberg was considered as a replacement.[55] Later that month, it was announced Chris Weitz had signed to continue the script's development for the film.[56] In March 2015, the title Rogue One was officially revealed.[57][c]
Edwards stated the style of the film would be similar to that of a war film, stating, "It's the reality of war. Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It's complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie."[59][60] Assuming Disney would not allow a dark ending, Edwards had the main characters surviving in the original version of the script. However, the producers opted for a more tragic ending and never filmed the original version.[61][62][63]
In May 2016, reports emerged the film would undergo five weeks of reshoots with Tony Gilroy writing additional scenes, as well as acting as a second-unit director under Edwards.[64][65] With input from Edwards, Gilroy oversaw the edit and additional photography of the film which tackled several issues, including the ending.[66] In August, Gilroy was given screenplay credit alongside Weitz and was paid $5 million for his work on the film.[67][68] Additionally, Christopher McQuarrie, Scott Z. Burns, and Michael Arndt all contributed to the script at various stages in development.[69][70]
In July 2016, discussing whether the film would feature an opening crawl, Kathleen Kennedy said, "we're in the midst of talking about it, but I don't think these [anthology] films will have an opening crawl." Edwards explained that the film was "supposed to be different than the saga films," and that "This film is born out of a crawl. ... There's this feeling that if we did a crawl, then it'll create another movie."[71] In November 2016, Kennedy confirmed the film would not feature an opening crawl, instead beginning in "a way that is traditional, with just the title."[72]
At the 2016 Star Wars Celebration, Edwards said that the film's title had three underlying meanings: "a military sign," referring to the Red Squadron from A New Hope; "the 'rogue' one" of the franchise, given it is the first film to not be part of the main saga; and a description of Jyn Erso's personality.[73]
In January 2015, The Hollywood Reporter stated numerous actresses, including Tatiana Maslany, Rooney Mara, and Felicity Jones were being assessed for the film's lead.[74] In February 2015, it was announced that Jones was in final talks to star in the film, while Aaron Paul and Édgar Ramírez were being eyed for the male lead role.[75] In March 2015, Jones was officially cast as Jyn Erso.[57] In March 2015, it was rumored that Ben Mendelsohn was being considered for a lead role.[76] The next month, it was reported that Sam Claflin was being looked at for a unspecified role, while Riz Ahmed was in negotiations to join the film.[77] In May, Mendelsohn, Ahmed, and Diego Luna were added to the cast in lead roles of the film.[78][79] Forest Whitaker was cast in June 2015.[80] In July 2015, Jonathan Aris was chosen to play Senator Jebel.[81] Genevieve O'Reilly was cast as Mon Mothma, reprising her role from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.[22] James Earl Jones was confirmed to return as the voice of Darth Vader in June 2016.[82]
Principal photography on the film began at Pinewood Studios,[83] Buckinghamshire, on August 8, 2015,[84][85] where huge sets were built to complement scenes that were to be filmed elsewhere in the world.[86] The movie was shot using Ultra Panavision 70 lenses with Arri Alexa 65 large format digital 6K[87] cameras.[88]
Filming also took place in various locations around the world. In Iceland, the crew shot in Reynisfjara, and around the mountains of Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey at Mýrdalssandur, which were used to represent the Erso homestead on Lah'mu and the Imperial research facility on Eadu respectively.[89][90][91][92] Also used as filming locations were the Krafla area with its volcanic crater[93] and around Lake Mývatn's rock formations.[94] The islands of Gan and Baresdhoo of the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives, as well as the former RAF Bovingdon airfield, were used to represent Scarif.[95][96] Wadi Rum