Lucasfilm has just released the first official trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," a spin-off film set just before "A New Hope" and tells how the Rebellion got hold of the Death Star plans. Although the trailer is short, it does give a good look at several characters as well as indications of key plot points.
The trailer immediately introduces the audience to the main character Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones. She is shown apprehended by the Rebellion and is brought to Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), one of the co-founders and leaders of the Rebellion.
According to Mon Mothma, Jyn Erso is described as a criminal wanted for stealing, forgery and other crimes, to which Jyn Erso replies, "This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel."
In a report from Collider, this brings forth some similarities between Jyn Erso and the smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the scene also brings back O'Reilly as Mon Mothma, who played the role in "Revenge of the Sith" but her scenes were cut out. Mon Mothma also appeared in "Return of the Jedi," then played by Caroline Blakiston.
The report also points out how different the film feels from the main seven movies thus far, focusing more on the war that the Rebellion fought against the Empire. This gives it a boots-on-the-ground aesthetic akin to war films like "Saving Private Ryan" instead of the heroic tale used in the main films.
Quick shots of Forest Whitaker's battered soldier and advisor are also shown and there is also a sequence that many believe to be a shot of Darth Vader or an Inquisitor bending the knee to someone in a glass container, guarded by two Imperial Guards.
The trailer then ends with a shot of Jyn Erso in Imperial clothing, and fans speculate that she may have either switched to the enemy side or is in disguise as part of the Rebellion's plans to sneak into the Death Star and steal its blueprints, leading to the events that took place in "A New Hope."
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" opens in theaters this Dec. 16.
