‘Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One’ First Look

With most Star Wars news and hype seeming to center around the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the internet was caught off guard when they were shown what are believed to be photos of another movie in production: the spin-off prequel titled Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One.

The set photos posted by The Mirror today are of actors in stormtrooper armor, filming scenes from what appears to be one of the upcoming Star Wars films not following the main storyline. Rogue One is being directed by Gareth Edwards (director of the 2014’s Godzilla) and takes place prior to the beginning of the actual Star Wars film series. Edwards explains that the film focuses on a time when Jedi were essentially nonexistent.

“It comes down to a group of individuals that don’t have magical powers that have to somehow bring hope to the galaxy. It’s about the fact that God’s not coming to save us. The absence of the Jedi hangs over the movie.”

Rogue One is to be the first film in the Star Wars Anthology series, which will consist of four movies that take place within the Star Wars universe without being specifically attached to the core episodic storyline. The Anthology films are to fall in between the main Star Wars series release-wise. So far, we only have information on the first two: Rogue One and an untitled film following a young Han Solo, the latter being penned by Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as The Force Awaken co-writer Lawrence Kasdan.

The sets being used for Rogue One at the moment are apparently recycled from The Force Awakens, and photos from these sets show weapons and aircraft from the Star Wars universe. Beyond that, there isn’t much information to be gained from the photos, but fans are excited about the sneak peek nonetheless.

However, some worry that the influx of annual Star Wars films may cause a degree of cultural burnout: io9 notes that we’ll be getting a new Star Wars film every year until at least 2019. For many fans, a new big-budget Star Wars film every year for five years is a dream come true. We’ll just have to wait and see, though we won’t have to wait very long. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be hitting theaters in December of this year, with Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One premiering one year later.

[Image: Eva Rinaldi/Wikimedia Commons]