Clearly, Lucasfilm and Disney are taking on a different approach with "Rogue One: A Star Wars: Story" as its trailers are geared more towards hinting at its story unlike those for "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" whose narrative was shrouded in mystery. But this treatment may be what the first standalone film in the franchise needs. After all, it treads a different path compared to the episodic films as it has dark and dangerous undertones.
The latest trailer for the film was released for the international audience and it provides more details on the backstory of the Erso family with snippets of a young Jyn, her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), and even a short glimpse of her mother, Lyra (Valene Kane).
While the film may not be geared towards the supernatural aspect of "Star Wars" with the Jedis said to be extinct at this point — sans Obi-Wan Kenobi in Tatooine and Master Yoda in Dagobah who are in hiding. Instead, an important Jedi relic in the Kyber crystal may be at play in the flick.
At one point in the video clip, Lyra hands a Jyn a clear crystal tipped to be the powerful gem as she tells her daughter, "Trust the Force." What is interesting is that it is a clear crystal, a unique variation compared to those that fans have seen before in green, blue, and even purple. Some speculations suggest that the specific crystal is the last piece of the puzzle for the Death Star to be as powerful as how the Empire wants it to be. In relation to that, rumors that Jyn may actually be attuned to the Force have popped up quite a bit recently. Interestingly, this does not make her a Jedi, technically, but she has the potential given her innate capabilities.
A lead-up novel in James Luceno's "Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel," offers additional information about the Ersos and how they are related to Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). As it turns out, the Imperial Military's advanced weapons research head goes way back with Galen as they were once classmates. This gives fans more of an idea how Krennic landed Galen given that he was such a sought-after scientist during his time.
"Rogue One" offers ordinary people the chance to have their heroic moments and it also expands the "Star Wars" lore outside of the Skywalkers and Solos. But the flick is not entirely devoid of Skywalkers with Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) returning to the fold at a time when he was probably the most brutal. In a split-second shot in the international trailer, the former Jedi knight is standing almost looking like he Force choked someone. The prequel also introduces a new droid who is already very interesting given its history. Originally an Imperial droid, K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) is recalibrated by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to work for the Rebellion. However, he is not the only one that switches sides in the narrative as Bodhi Rook (Riz Amed) also once worked as an Imperial pilot.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" follows a small group of rebels trying to get a hold of the plans for the first Death Star. The standalone film directed by Gareth Edwards blasts through cinemas on Dec. 16.
