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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer Brings New Hope

By Tim Karan

Darth Vader cast an ominous shadow over much of the early promotion for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but the iconic villain finally steps into the spotlight in the new and presumably final trailer for the upcoming anthology film.

The trailer debuted today on Good Morning America, and it's brimming with chill-inducing moments and tantalizing clues about what's to come. Watch it above, take a breath, then watch it again.

The first standalone flick set in the Star Wars galaxy and away from the Skywalker family, Rogue One takes place between the events of 2005's Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars movie, 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope. According to the official synopsis, "a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things."

Rogue One promises to put the "war" in Star Wars like no previous installment in the franchise, as most of those "ordinary people" aren't actually Jedi or Sith, but civilians and grunts on the ground overshadowed by the massive weaponry and influence of the Empire. That theme is likely why producers turned to director Gareth Edwards, who demonstrated a mastery of making us all look small (literally and conceptually) with 2010's Monsters and 2014's Godzilla, and cinematographer Greig Fraser, who brought gritty realism to 2012's Zero Dark Thirty.

Ahead of the new trailer, Edwards also released a new poster packed with hidden messages.


It prominently features central character Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) with what appears to be schematics for the Death Star overlayed on her face. But that's also Vader's mask blending into the weapon's hull behind her.

The poster also offers a good look at the movie's motley band of Rebels, along with villainous Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). Although Krennic is director of the Empire's special weapons program, Entertainment Weekly points out that his inclusion alongside the Rebels on the poster suggests that "Vader is as much a danger to him as he is to them."

Rogue One lands in theaters Dec. 16. Check out everything we know about it, and Star Wars mysteries it might finally answer.

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