We’re on the cusp of the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As we recently covered, tickets are now on sale and a new TV spot looks to be our final glimpse of preview content. Once again, it’s almost time for a brand new Star Wars film, and the movie-loving public couldn’t be more excited. So with just a couple weeks left before the release, here’s a last round of questions we have to ponder about Rogue One.
Will Filming Be Significantly Different?
This may not seem like the most pressing question, and it’s certainly not in line with the internet trend of hounding after theories and easter eggs while analyzing trailers and on-set images. However, Entertainment Weekly’s online magazine took a look at a few photos that were released from filming, and one in particular stood out. The picture showed a helicopter filming a group of rebels running along a beach, in a decidedly un-Star Wars-looking shot. Naturally the helicopter won’t actually be in the film, but this is the kind of cinematography that we don’t usually see in these movies. Traditionally Star Wars movies are made in a pretty classic style, but director Gareth Edwards evidently indicated he’s going for a handheld style with this battle that will make you feel like you were there. That sounds like a lot of fun, but it’s also quite different for t
his series. It makes one wonder if watching this movie will feel a little bit strange in a way.
Could Jyn Be Phasma?
Suffice it to say, this is one of the most interesting theories going around online. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is the heroine of this story, but there are more than a few hints in the trailer that she, like Luke and others, may flirt with the dark side. She’s also seen in an all-black suit a bit like a slimmed down version of what we saw on Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens. It’s probably not the case, but if Jyn is on a track toward becoming Phasma it would make for a clever link between the movies.
Will We See A Lightsaber?
This might sound like a trivial question, but don’t underestimate the importance of lightsabers among Star Wars fans. For the sake of perspective, Lottoland’s online Irish lottery site published a list of expensive pieces of movie memorabilia, perhaps as a sort of fantasy shopping list for lottery hopefuls. The list revealed that Luke’s original weapon sold at auction for over $200,000! That’s to say nothing of the frenzy over new weapons, such as when Mace Windu was revealed to have a purple lightsaber, or Kylo Ren’s came with a crossguard. As far as we know, there are know Jedi in Rogue One. But we have to wonder if there will at least be a fleeting glimpse of one, just so that this won’t become the first Star Wars film without a lightsaber.
What About Old Friends?
Slashfilm took a stab at a few of the burning questions that people still have regarding Rogue One, and one that came up was whether or not Princess Leia will have a role?Çöor R2-D2, or any other old friends. We know that aside from Darth Vader there are a number of supporting characters from A New Hope who will be back in action, but we don’t have any kind of confirmation regarding major people from the original trilogy. It’s perfectly conceivable that Leia could be attached to this movie, though in all likelihood she’ll just be mentioned, and not actually seen on screen.
Will Any New Characters Matter In 2017?
We covered the idea that Jyn could be Phasma. But will any other characters from Rogue One have specific links to Episode VIII when it comes out in 2017? For instance, could Jyn also be Rey’s mother? Will we meet a new character who will resurface in Episode VIII? Might we meet a young version of Max von Sydow’s mysterious Lor San Tekka from The Force Awakens? These are among some of the most exciting lingering questions.