Star Wars: Rogue One Confirmed

Another day another franchise story, this time it’s not superheroes but back to Star Wars with the news that the first spin-off movie will be called Star Wars: Rogue One.  Now, calm yourselves because as if that wasn’t enough to get the Midi-Chlorians pumping it has also been announced that, as previously rumoured, The Theory Of Everything‘s Felicity Jones will star in Rogue One.

Godzilla and Monsters director Gareth Edwards – NOT Gareth Evans of The Raid fame, we get those two mixed-up A LOT – is the man directing the film with it being described as “the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga”. The rumour is that the film will be set in a pre- Star Wars: A New Hope universe and see some kind of space heist – someone call Firefly‘s Captain Mal. The title “Rogue” of course does tie-fighter-in nicely to the Star Wars cannon with Rogue Squadron being the prime fighter-pilots of the Rebel Alliance.  Could this be the origin story of them as they take on the Galactic Empire before the Rebel Alliance was formed. Who the Yoda knows.

What we do know is that the script is being written by About A Boy writer Chris Weitz and is set for a 16th December 2016 release.  That means, if all goes according to plan we’ll be getting a Star Wars film once a year for the foreseeable future because Star Wars Episode VIII, which is being written and directed by Looper’s Rian Johnson will hit cinemas on the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope’s release on 26th May 2017. Wave a lightsaber if you’re excited! Source – Stars Wars via Twitter