FILM · 2016
Rogue One
217 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (217)
- #001
While rummaging through Lucasfilm's vaults, Gareth Edwards and his creative team discovered some old film canisters. When they asked what they were, an employee told them they were the old Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). The discovery led to unused Episode IV material featuring Red Leader and Gold Leader being included in the film.
- #002
Contains a major spoiler — show
Grand Moff Tarkin, the character Peter Cushing played in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), is brought back by Cushing despite his death in 1994, recreated via CGI by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) with the approval of his estate, and physically portrayed on set by Guy Henry. Henry and ILM studied hours of old footage to get all of Cushing's facial movements right. Henry then took on the role wearing head-mounted cameras that recorded all of his facial movements on set. ILM then replaced his face with a digital mask of Cushing. By chance, Cushing's face had recently been found in an archive, prepared for Top Secret! (1984), and this proved very useful in the process. Cushing received a special "with special recognition to Peter Cushing" credit in the end titles. Similarly, with Carrie Fisher's approval, the young Princess Leia has a brief cameo, physically portrayed by Ingvild Deila, who was very helpful in recreating her facial features via CGI.
- #003
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the first draft of the script, Jyn and Cassian survived the events of the film, even though director Gareth Edwards wanted all the heroes to die. After speaking with Kathleen Kennedy and Disney executives, he voiced this view, and surprisingly Kennedy agreed and gave him permission to kill the characters.
- #004
Alan Tudyk, who played K-2SO, improvised both the slap to Cassian Andor's face on Jedha and the line "And there's a fresh one if you mouth off again." This improvisation caused Diego Luna to break as Cassian and produce a smile, as can be seen in the final film.
- #005
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the attack on Scarif, two Stormtroopers can be heard mentioning that the VT-15 will be out of service. This parallels the scene in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) in which two Stormtroopers discuss that the new VT-16 is "… quite a thing to see…".
- #006
Anthony Daniels was jokingly displeased that Alan Tudyk was allowed to play K-2SO in the relative comfort of a motion-capture suit, whereas Daniels had to endure discomfort and injuries in the C-3PO costume for years. After the premiere of Rogue One, Daniels jokingly cursed at Tudyk. Tudyk later said the "Fuck you" he received from Daniels was one of the greatest compliments he had ever gotten.
- #007
R2-D2 and C-3PO have a brief cameo, which makes Anthony Daniels the only actor to appear in every film. (In Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) he appears as another character.)
- #008
Contains a major spoiler — show
During the final battle, Red 5's X-Wing is shot down and the pilot is killed. This call sign was later assigned to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
- #009
Contains a major spoiler — show
Darth Vader's appearance in this film was meticulously shaped, inspired by his appearance in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Vader's chest plate appeared in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), while his costume initially had Sith robes wrapped over the shoulder armor and red lenses in the eye holes of the mask. Considering that this film takes place only a few days before the original film, the costume designers recreated Vader's look down to the finest detail.
- #010
The studio had only two options to play Chirrut: Donnie Yen and Jet Li. Yen was approached with a salary of 4 million dollars, against Li's 10 million dollars. To gauge his interest and as a secondary plan, director Gareth Edwards also offered him the other role of Baze. Yen expressed interest in playing Chirrut but hesitated to accept because it would require him to stay in London for five months. However, his young son's love of Star Wars films and comics wore down his reluctance, and blinding his character was his own idea.
- #011
Contains a major spoiler — show
Darth Vader is first shown living in a castle-like fortress that appears to be built on an active volcano. This is based on an unused concept created by Ralph McQuarrie after Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) was shot, but before the story of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) was developed. The planet is Mustafar, the place where Anakin Skywalker undergoes his final transformation into Vader (and his body is severely injured) in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). The castle reappeared in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
- #012
In earlier versions of the script, Lyra Erso was a Jedi. In later versions, this approach was abandoned, as the idea of exploring the lives of ordinary inhabitants of the galaxy, especially after the collapse of the Jedi Order, seemed more interesting.
- #013
After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, John Knoll heard some of the first concepts for the new "Star Wars" films and was unimpressed by any of them. He began developing his idea for this film and started talking about it with his colleagues at ILM, turning the story into a 30-minute presentation. The people at ILM liked it so much that he was encouraged to take it to Kathleen Kennedy, the new president of Lucasfilm. She liked the pitch and the film was put into production.
- #014
Costume designer David Crossman stated that some of the original costumes used in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) were reused here.
- #015
At the Rebel base on Yavin IV, there are several full-size cardboard cutouts of X-Wings and Y-Wing fighters, using the same hangar-filling technique as in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
- #016
The space battle features Blue Squadron of X-Wings, alongside Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, both known from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). The original film was supposed to have Blue Squadron, but the blue markings on the fighters caused problems with the blue-screen technique that 1977 technology could not overcome, so the color was changed to red.
- #017
Jyn's father, Galen, was modeled on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. Both men share the same guilt over becoming agents of death by building a weapon of mass destruction.
- #018
George Lucas loved the film so much that director Gareth Edwards posted the following on his Twitter account: "That was the most important review to me, he's kind of like God, I will take that conversation to my grave, his opinion means the world to me."
- #019
To give the ground battles their intended look, director Gareth Edwards and the design team took old photographs shot during World War II and Vietnam, swapped army helmets for Rebel head gear, and added X-Wings to the shots. They also drew storyboards inspired by photographs from conflict zones in the Middle East. Studio representatives were immediately impressed by the images and encouraged him to continue with the idea.
- #020
Contains a major spoiler — show
Carrie Fisher (the original Princess Leia) died a week after the film opened in the United States. She was able to see the film before her death and reportedly screamed with joy when she saw the young version of herself at the end of the film.
- #021
Gareth Edwards instructed the art department to use only elements that existed in 1977 so the film would look contemporary with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). For example, flight control animations had to be kept as simple as possible, resisting the urge to make them too "flashy."
- #022
Gareth Edwards said he came up with the name of the planet Scarif after ordering coffee from the Starbucks chain, which is known for writing customers' names on cups. The barista misspelled Gareth's name as "Scareth."
- #023
As Chirrut, Jyn, Cassian and Baze walk with hoods over their heads, Chirrut is the only one who does not stumble.
- #024
Before the attack on the flying tank, Cassian mentions the "Guardians of the Whills" while talking with Jyn on Jedha. "The Star Wars: From the Journal of the Whills" was the original working title of George Lucas's story. The Whills were wise beings who told their students the saga of Star Wars and explained that it had actually happened "a long time ago in a galaxy far away." This framing device was ultimately deemed unnecessary and abandoned. There is a fan consensus that Yoda's species is the Whills, but this was never officially confirmed.
- #025
Contains a major spoiler — show
This film takes place days before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and leads directly into its events.
- #026
Genevieve O'Reilly reprised the role of Mon Mothma, whom she had previously played in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). However, all but one of her scenes in the previous film were cut.
- #027
The original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) includes a shot of the main heroes standing outside the temple on Yavin IV. Although the temple itself is a matte painting, the foreground players, including various rebels and their transport vehicles, were filmed at Cardington Sheds in Bedfordshire, England. The "Rogue One" team returned to the same location not only to shoot the exteriors but also to recreate the interior of the Rebel base there this time.
- #028
The film confirms through dialogue that the Death Star can travel through hyperspace (although it is never seen entering, in, or exiting hyperspace).
- #029
Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna and Felicity Jones lived together on a boat during filming in the Maldives.
- #030
As seen on screen near the end of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), no copy of the Death Star plan data was available during the pilot briefing, which required the visual effects team to redraw all of the animation frame by frame for this film.
- #031
This film is based on the opening crawl of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) ("It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships…").
- #032
Contains a major spoiler — show
It includes digitally added characters and unused footage from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) release, including Governor Tarkin, Princess Leia, Red Leader and Gold Leader.
- #033
As Jyn and Cassian walk through the crowded streets of Jedha, they encounter two men, and one of them says, "Hey! You just watch yourself!" These are Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba (the Aqualish), seen in the cantina in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), where Obi-Wan Kenobi cuts off Baba's arm after a fight in a bar. The line is lifted directly from that scene.
- #034
Contains a major spoiler — show
It emerged retroactively that Rogue Squadron, the group of pilots led by Luke Skywalker in the Battle of Hoth, took its name from Jyn's team, which chose "Rogue One" as its call sign. The Rogue One call sign is never used during the original trilogy. Given the tragic events of this film, it can be assumed that the call sign was retired in honor of the heroes.
- #035
When Vader is first seen, he is in a Bacta tank similar to the one Luke used in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) after being wounded by the Wampa. This is a nod to Vader's wider-universe backstory, in which he is known to have spent long periods in a Bacta tank hoping to repair the damage the lava on Mustafar did to his lungs, hating having to rely on a mask to breathe.
- #036
Contains a major spoiler — show
The Battle of Scarif helps explain why the Rebel Alliance could muster only about thirty starfighters to attack the Death Star and why they allowed Luke, a pilot with no experience in an X-Wing, to join the assault. The battle severely depleted the Rebel starfighter forces and its leader, General Merrick, was killed in the fighting. Luke is brought in to replace Red 5, who was also killed at Scarif. The battle also reinforces Luke's advice to Han that the Rebels "… could use a good pilot like you, you're turning your back on them."
- #037
Chirrut Îmwe at one point says, "May the Force of others be with you." This came from George Lucas's 1974 original rough draft script for Star Wars, titled "The Star Wars," and was used in the Dark Horse comic adaptation of the same name published in 2013/2014.
- #038
Contains a major spoiler — show
In Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Governor Tarkin announces that the Emperor has permanently dissolved the council and that all regions are controlled directly by regional governors. The reason for this decision is never explicitly stated, but it is likely the Emperor did it as a direct reaction to the Battle of Scarif at the end of the film. Since this was the Rebel Alliance's first open attack on the Empire, he probably used it as a pretext to impose a kind of galaxy-wide martial law and rid himself of the last governing body standing between him and absolute power.
- #039
The idea of the kyber crystal appeared in the early drafts of George Lucas's original film and was first articulated in Alan Dean Foster's novel "Splinter of the Mind's Eye," the first original Star Wars novel, published after the premiere of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). In the novel, based on Lucas's idea for a possible sequel, the "kaiburr crystal" was an artifact that gave the Jedi enormous power over the Force.
- #040
Some scenes from the trailers that did not appear in the finished film were the result of what were called "Indie Hours." During these independent hours, the crew shot spontaneous scenes to see what results they would get, regardless of whether they would end up in the finished film. On one occasion, as Felicity Jones walked through the Imperial Archive tunnel to the next scene, a crew member turned on the lights. Another crew member called out to her and she instinctively turned around. Director Gareth Edwards was so impressed by this spontaneous composition that he asked the crew to let the cameras run. He initially asked for 10 seconds, but they ultimately spent half an hour on about 17 takes. When Edwards had to cut the trailer, he included one take of that scene. Even though he knew it would not be in the finished film, he was still proud of it.
- #041
Contains a major spoiler — show
Before the Battle of Scarif, Senator Bail Organa tells Mon Mothma that he will return to Alderaan. Although it is never explicitly stated in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Rogue One acknowledges that Bail was on this planet when it was destroyed by the Death Star. Some print adaptations of A New Hope had stated this.
- #042
Contains a major spoiler — show
In Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), when Grand Moff Tarkin announces to Vader and the other officers that the Senate has been dissolved, there are several empty chairs around the conference table. One of these seats probably belonged to Director Krennic, who died at Scarif.
- #043
According to Ralph McQuarrie, the design of Darth Vader's castle was based on the shape of a tuning key, symbolizing his turn to the dark side. The Jedha temple was also based on the same shape, but in white rather than the castle's black.
- #044
The interior shots of the Scarif base, which also houses the train station, were filmed at Canary Wharf London Underground station. Because the budget did not allow for building this additional set, director Gareth Edwards chose to use Canary Wharf station for its striking futuristic design. Production could only use the site at night, between closing and opening hours, leaving only a few hours for set decoration and filming. To prevent internet leaks, everything had to be done in complete secrecy, so props and costumes had to be smuggled in and out while passengers were present. According to Edwards, the most frustrating thing was that they were shooting a Star Wars film in such a public place and could not tell anyone.
- #045
As Jyn hurriedly packs her belongings, a pitcher of blue milk can be seen in Lyra's kitchen. Blue milk first appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) in Aunt Beru's kitchen, while Uncle Owen advises Luke to stay away from Ben Kenobi.
- #046
Darth Vader's first appearance in the bacta tank is accompanied by a rising four-note leitmotif last used in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). It was originally composed by John Williams as an Imperial theme and was replaced by the Imperial March, also known as Darth Vader's theme, in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and later Star Wars productions.
- #047
In the background of Jyn Erso's flashback to her childhood, when her father Galen Erso is speaking with Orson Krennic, the planet Coruscant, capital of the galaxy, is visible.
- #048
Alan Tudyk initially turned down the role of K-2SO because the start of filming conflicted with pre-production on the crowdfunded comedy series Con Man (2015). He agreed to join the production when Gareth Edwards said filming had been delayed by a month to July 2015. To prepare for his role, he took mask lessons from mask teacher Orlando Pabotoy, who lives in New York, and learned to express more through body language. He has since said this was one of the best roles he has worked on, because it allowed him to wear a motion-capture suit on set as well as the advantage of walking on 13-inch stilts. Tudyk shot a brief scene appearing as his character Wray Nerely from "Con Man," but the scene was deleted.
- #049
Contains a major spoiler — show
This is the first Star Wars film in which no one mentions the name "Skywalker." It is also the first (and so far only) Star Wars film without any wipe transitions. And although it is a character trademark, this is the first Star Wars film in which Darth Vader says the word "choke." It is the first theatrical Star Wars film in which no "light side" lightsaber (green or blue) is seen or used. The only lightsaber used in the film is Vader's, and it is used only at the end of the film. There are no lightsaber duels in the first Star Wars film in which no hero uses a lightsaber. It is the first live-action, theatrical Star Wars film not to feature a Jedi as a main character. Darth Vader, a Sith and former Jedi, is a secondary character. It is the first Star Wars film in which all the main characters die. This is the first Star Wars film in the series not to include the famous Wilhelm scream, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017). According to sound editor Matthew Wood, this was a deliberate choice as a way to "move on." This is the first live-action Star Wars film not to use the "crawl" scrolling text at the opening of the film. The animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) also did not feature a crawl. It nonetheless has the standard "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" opening text. It is the first Star Wars film to identify locations with on-screen subtitles. It was shot with digital Arri Alexa 65 cameras using Ultra Panavision 70 lenses. This makes it the first "Star Wars" film and also the first Disney film since The Black Cauldron (1985) to be shot in the 70 mm widescreen film format.
- #050
Composer Alexandre Desplat's original film score was rejected because of extensive reshoots made to address tone and story issues. This extended the post-production schedule, during which he was unavailable due to his commitments to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017). His replacement, Michael Giacchino, had only one month to write the score.
- #051
In a scene on Yavin IV, an announcer can be heard calling for "General Syndulla." This is a reference to Hera Syndulla from Star Wars: Rebels (2014).
- #052
In Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017), a secret Imperial technology used by the First Order is mentioned. While Jyn searches for the Death Star plans in the Scarif vault, she sees a subject labeled "Hyperspace Tracking." This is the technology that allows the First Order to track the Resistance fleet even while it travels through hyperspace.
- #053
Tarkin, played by Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), is now portrayed by Guy Henry, with a CGI replica of Cushing's face superimposed over his own. Henry had previously played Sherlock Holmes in Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House (1982) in the 1980s and used Cushing's role in Sherlock Holmes (1964) as a model.
- #054
Gerrera's line "What will you become?" used in the trailer was improvised by Forest Whitaker.
- #055
Contains a major spoiler — show
As the rebels prepare to attack Scarif, Captain Antilles can be heard being summoned. Captain Raymus Antilles is the character killed by Darth Vader immediately after the opening battle in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), and he also appears briefly at the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), where he takes custody of C-3PO and R2-D2.
- #056
Contains a major spoiler — show
In trailers and promotional footage, Jyn and Cassian are seen running in the Imperial base and on the beach on the planet Scarif, with Jyn carrying the data storage device holding the Death Star plans. Like many promotional shots, such as Jyn standing without a helmet in an Imperial corridor and a TIE Fighter rising in front of her on the podium at the top of the tower on Scarif, these scenes were not used in the final film, in which the data storage device is only taken to the top of the tower. According to director Gareth Edwards, some shots were cut because the film's final act was changed and the characters ultimately do not survive. Initially the transmission tower was located far from the base and required the Rebels to run toward it along the beach. Because this sequence ran too long, it was decided to reshoot it with the tower now placed in a convenient position in the same building. During his interview with the Directors Guild, Edwards also admitted that at the end of each shooting day the actors and crew often amused themselves with the sets and costumes at hand. In the end, they shot footage that looked great without ever intending to use it in the finished film. However, much of this footage looked so good that it still appeared in trailers and promotional photos.
- #057
In the trailer, a TIE Fighter rises in front of Jyn as she walks on the podium. This scene was not used in the final film. Director Gareth Edwards later explained in an interview with Empire that the shot was part of an abandoned third-act story. However, the marketing department liked the shot because it captured the spirit of the film so well and insisted on using it in the marketing campaign even though it knew it would not be used in the final film.
- #058
The high-ranking Imperial officer Tarkin had been described in Star Wars promotional materials as "Grand Moff Tarkin" and sometimes as "Admiral Tarkin," but in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) he was only called "Governor Tarkin." Princess Leia addressed him that way when she was brought before him. In this film he is again referred to as "Governor Tarkin." The title "Moff" has never been spoken in a live-action Star Wars film, except in a scene cut from Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). From the late 1980s onward, printed sources gave Tarkin the first name Wilhuff, which is also never spoken in the films.
- #059
At the beginning of the film, the fallen statues on the desert planet Jedha are seen at least twice in the form of a toppled Jedi. The second shows him holding a lightsaber. These are the remains of an ancient Jedi temple, as Jedha was a holy world of worship for believers in the Force.
- #060
This is the first live-action Star Wars film not to use the "crawl" scrolling text at its opening. The animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) also did not feature a crawl. It nonetheless has the standard "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" opening text. This may make Rogue One a very long "pre-title" for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), or a prologue in the style of Episode IV part 1/2, especially since the events ultimately connect immediately back to back.
- #061
During the attack on the shield, the Y-wing pilot "Gold Leader" tells the pilots "watch out for those towers," a call he will repeat during the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
- #062
Many of Saw Gerrera's compatriots can be seen playing an analog version of the Dejarik Holochess game that appears in hologram form on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #063
Some pieces of Michael Giacchino's score incorporate reworkings of John Williams's original Star Wars music. The most notable is the track "Krennic's Aspirations," which contains both the Imperial motif from A New Hope and a slowed-down version of the Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back. Reworkings of the Imperial March appear several more times throughout the film.
- #064
Almost none of the footage or dialogue from Rogue One's original teaser trailer appears in the final theatrical cut. This is presumed to be due to the film's extensive reshoots.
- #065
Tony Gilroy was paid $5 million for 12 weeks of work revising the script, particularly the third act, and overseeing reshoots. He also advised the producers to hire his brother, editor John Gilroy, to cut the reshot footage. None of the footage from the first two trailers appears in the final film.
- #066
Contains a major spoiler — show
According to Alan Tudyk, an alternate death scene was filmed for both his character and Cassian, but it was later changed during reshoots. In the original scene, Jyn, Cassian and K-2SO successfully retrieve the Death Star plans and must run along the beach to another building to transmit them. While Jyn climbs the tower to transmit the plans, Cassian and K-2SO stay on the ground to fight Stormtroopers, and both Cassian and K-2SO are killed by Krennic during the fight. Parts of the scene can be seen in various behind-the-scenes videos.
- #067
The film's score was composed by Michael Giacchino. He has scored every film directed by J. J. Abrams except Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #068
At one point during production it was said that Hayden Christensen would reprise the role of Darth Vader, but these rumors turned out to be false. In 2016 Kathleen Kennedy stated that James Earl Jones would voice Darth Vader while a stunt performer portrayed him on screen. Christensen would go on to make a vocal cameo as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) three years later, and finally returned as Anakin/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) three years after that.
- #069
Contains a major spoiler — show
The scene in which Darth Vader slaughters the Rebels was added during reshoots only two and a half months before the film's release.
- #070
Contains a major spoiler — show
The droid K-2SO can be heard saying the classic Star Wars line "I have a bad feeling about this" as he boards the train to the Imperial base with Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. The line is spoken by various characters in all the other Star Wars films.
- #071
It is the first Star Wars film to identify locations with on-screen captions.
- #072
The planet where Jyn is taken from the Empire by the Rebel Alliance is named Wobani, an anagram of Obi-Wan.
- #073
Contains a major spoiler — show
HIDDEN MICKEY: During the Battle of Scarif, smoke in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head rises from an exploding warship. At roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.
- #074
Contains a major spoiler — show
Jimmy Smits, who had previously appeared as Bail Organa in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (and also in the cinematic video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008)), was announced to appear in the film only months before its premiere.
- #075
It is the first (and so far only) Star Wars film with no wipe transitions other than the transition into the end title sequence (which is exactly the same as in the original films).
- #076
It is the first theatrical Star Wars film to feature dialogue in its closing scene.
- #077
The reason the opening crawl is not shown was explained by Gareth Edwards in a January 2017 interview. "We knew from the beginning that John Williams wouldn't be available for our film, the decision about the opening crawl was made before we started shooting, Gary Whitta actually wrote one in the first draft, you'll have to bother him about that. I believe the crawl words are actually floating somewhere in space - we just need to fund NASA well enough for their deep space telescopes to find them. Let's crowdfund this and make it happen." Several fans reached out to Whitta on Twitter asking whether he would reveal the opening crawl. He refused to tweet it on his Twitter account: "It's not mine to share, I wrote it but Lucasfilm owns it."
- #078
The tall tripod towers on Galen Erso's farm are moisture vaporators very similar to those at the Lars farm where Luke Skywalker works in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
- #079
The writer/director of Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) plays an Imperial soldier controlling the Death Star's superlaser.
- #080
Donnie Yen improvised the line "Are you kidding me?! I'm blind!" on the spot. Director Gareth Edwards liked the line so much that he kept it.
- #081
Supervising sound editor Matthew Wood confirmed that David Ankrum recorded a small new vocal cameo as Wedge Antilles in the Yavin IV scene, as the ships depart for the battle at Scarif. Ankrum is credited under 'additional voices' in the titles and is not listed as Wedge in the cast list.
- #082
Alan Tudyk improvised some of his dialogue that made it into the released film.
- #083
As Chirrut (Donnie Yen) says, 'the strongest stars have hearts of kyber'; the revelation that kyber crystals are used as fuel for the Death Star makes the station's name quite fitting.
- #084
The film was sent to cinemas under the title 'Los Alamos.'.
- #085
On the walls of Saw Gerrera's cave are Mutos, a reference to the monsters the main character fights in Gareth Edwards's Godzilla (2014).
- #086
Contains a major spoiler — show
The Hammerhead-class cruiser that collides with a Star Destroyer near the end of the film is a design that first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003), developed by Bioware, and it first appeared canonically in A Princess on Lothal (2016).
- #087
Contains a major spoiler — show
The space battle features a Blue Squadron made up of X-wings (as well as Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, known from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)). The original film was supposed to have a Blue Squadron, but the blue color on the fighters caused problems with the blue-screen technique that 1977 technology could not overcome, so the color was changed to Red. This also provides a plot point explaining why Blue Squadron is not seen in later films (chronologically), since Blue Squadron is the only squadron that lands on the Scarif surface before the shield closes and is ultimately destroyed in the battle.
- #088
The character name Jyn Erso is thought to be a reference to Jan Ors, a character in the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995). In the game's first mission, Ors and Kyle Katarn recover the Death Star plans.
- #089
Chirrut Îmwe, the blind Guardian of the Whills, is based on Zatoichi, the hero of a long-running Japanese film series.
- #090
Dermot Mulroney plays cello and performs a solo in this film's music orchestra. Better known as an actor (mostly in romantic comedy), Mulroney is also a classical cellist who occasionally plays in recording sessions for film scores. He has also played in the music orchestras of Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016), so he has worked on both of these major science fiction franchises.
- #091
At 28:37, as Cassian and Jyn walk through the crowded streets of Jedha, an Imperial probe droid (Probot) passes in the background, similar to the one Han Solo and Chewbacca encounter in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
- #092
Contains a major spoiler — show
The Ghost, the ship from Star Wars: Rebels (2014), can be seen in the upper left corner of the frame in the high-angle shot filmed outside the base on Yavin 4.
- #093
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Leia appears, it continues the tradition of at least one 'Skywalker' character appearing in each film's closing scene before the credits. Anakin appeared in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Luke and Leia appear as babies in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005); Luke later appears as an adult (along with Leia) in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) (in which Anakin also appears in one of the closing shots), and alone in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #094
Tatiana Maslany, Rooney Mara and Kate Mara auditioned for the female lead role of Jyn Erso, which went to Felicity Jones.
- #095
The first trailer includes a scene in which captured X-wing pilots are marched through Jedha City. Although the scene was cut from the final version, a falling X-wing can be seen in the background as Baze and Chirrut first fight the stormtroopers. However, this X-wing's black-and-white markings indicate that it is one of Saw Gerrera's partisan ships.
- #096
Contains a major spoiler — show
Cassian tells Jyn that he is looking for her sister because his Jedha contact 'went missing.' Earlier at the trading post, Cassian had in fact been forced to kill his contact when the stormtroopers discovered them.
- #097
There are currently 12 Star Wars films. The two characters who have now appeared in all but one of them are R2-D2 and C-3PO. Among the other main characters, Anakin/Vader and Chewbacca appear in eight films, Obi-Wan in seven, Leia and Yoda in six, and Luke and Han in five.
- #098
This is the first full view of the original 'jump to hyperspace' effect seen from inside a ship's cockpit since Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), thirty-three years earlier. The effect was seen in the trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) but was not used in the film's final cut. Instead, the effect is mostly obscured by the Rathtar clinging to (and later tearing apart) the Millennium Falcon's cockpit window. An animated version of the effect appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).
- #099
Despite taking place in the same time period as Star Wars: Rebels (2014), it was revealed that characters from the series would not cross over into the film. Although there are a few verbal references to characters from 'Rebels,' both Dave Filoni and Gareth Edwards felt they should exist on their own rather than build on each other. Interestingly, the character Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) actually did cross over from a series: he was originally developed for the abandoned TV project 'Star Wars: Underworld,' making his debut in A War on Two Fronts (2012) (voiced by Andrew Kishino). He later appeared in the third season of 'Rebels' and in Andor (2022), both performed by Whitaker; Kishino voiced Gerrera again in Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021).
- #100
This is the first Star Wars film in which the film's title is actually spoken by characters in the film ('Rogue One' is used as a ship's call sign).
- #101
Alan Tudyk plays the droid K-2SO through motion capture technology. Tudyk had previously played the robot character Sonny in I, Robot (2004).
- #102
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Drewe Henley (Red Leader) all died in 2016.
- #103
Gareth Edwards named Blade Runner (1982), Alien (1979), Apocalypse Now (1979) and Baraka (1992) as visual inspirations for the film's look.
- #104
At one point Captain Cassian Andor says "Punch it" to his co-pilot K-2SO. In the original saga, Han Solo says: "Okay, punch it, Chewie."
- #105
For the German release of both this film and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), original actress Alexandra Lange voiced Mon Mothma, even though the two films were made 34 years apart. In Rogue One, Mon Mothma is about four years younger than in Return of the Jedi.
- #106
Contains a major spoiler — show
The list of project code names is as follows: Stellarsphere, Mark Omega, Pax Aurora, Ord Mantell, Cluster Prism, Black Sabre, Stardust. Some of these terms appear in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Black Sabre refers to the Darksabre, a lightsaber-like weapon seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars: Rebels (2014), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) and The Mandalorian (2019). Stellar Sphere, Mark Omega and Pax Aurora are mentioned in the prequel novel Catalyst as secret projects for sub-components of the Death Star.
- #107
Contains a major spoiler — show
Leia speaks the final line in both this film and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), the first two Star Wars films released since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
- #108
Disney's decision to expand the Star Wars film series with Rogue One and make it the first film in an anthology spin-off series was influenced by the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Marvel Studios was reorganized by Disney in August 2015. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), the second film in the anthology series, was released in 2018.
- #109
At least two of the astromechs seen in the background at the Resistance base on D'Qar in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), R4-M9 and R5-X3, can also be seen moving around the Rebel base on Yavin IV.
- #110
Andy de la Tour plays General Hurst Romodi, the bald Imperial officer who reports to Governor Tarkin. The same character also appeared in the conference room scene of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), where he was played by uncredited Ian Selby. His name first appeared in the Star Wars novelization ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster.
- #111
In the very early stages of production, Jyn Erso was a sergeant. Although this was later cut from the film, many action figures still refer to her as Sergeant Jyn Erso, because the change was made after the action figures had been produced. The film's novelization, however, confirms that Jyn is given the rank of sergeant by Lieutenant Taidu Sefla.
- #112
Contains a major spoiler — show
Both Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) end with a ship heading to Tatooine. In Rogue One, it is Leia's blockade runner, the Tantive IV; in Solo, it is Han and Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon.
- #113
The Ghost, the rebel starship from Star Wars: Rebels (2014), appears in the Battle of Scarif.
- #114
The giant laser dish is the final component added to complete the original Death Star. The laser dish of the second Death Star in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) is already installed (and fully operational) even though the station's superstructure is not yet complete.
- #115
Mads Mikkelsen became the first major, acclaimed actor to appear in a Star Wars film (Rogue One), a James Bond film (Casino Royale (2006)) and a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (Doctor Strange (2016)). Benicio Del Toro later matched this record (James Bond: Licence to Kill (1989), MCU: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)).
- #116
Contains a major spoiler — show
While searching the vault for the Death Star plans, Jyn reads "Blacksaber." This may be a reference to the Darksaber, an energy sword resembling a lightsaber created by the first Mandalorian Jedi, which appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and later in The Mandalorian (2019).
- #117
When Jyn is transported to prison, the vehicle carrying her is a Clone Turbo Tank, which first appeared in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
- #118
Mads Mikkelsen plays Galen Erso in this film. His older brother, Lars Mikkelsen, voices Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars: Rebels (2014) and later in the live-action Ahsoka.
- #119
Michael Giacchino is the only composer to have scored films for both the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises. He had previously composed the music for J. J. Abrams's Star Trek films. Rogue One is Giacchino's first entry into the Star Wars franchise.
- #120
When Jyn and Cassian are at the rebel base and first board the transport to Jedha, two red Zs are briefly visible above the door. This is one of the rare moments in the Star Wars universe where Latin characters appear. A similar Z letter is also visible on the hull of the Snowspeeders in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
- #121
In the rebels' briefing scene, a grey-haired, mustachioed officer stands to General Draven's right. This character is believed to be the same as one of the officers present at the medal ceremony in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), standing beside Commander Bob Hudsol and behind R2-D2 in the final shot. The character has been identified as Colonel Anj Zavor, even though he wears a general's rank badge in Rogue One.
- #122
In the Battle of Scarif, Rebel Alliance soldiers can be seen wearing M1 helmets, a type of helmet used by the US military from 1941 to 1984, reinforcing that the scene was inspired by battles fought on tropical islands such as Tarawa and Peleliu in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
- #123
Contains a major spoiler — show
This is the only Star Wars film that presents the immediate effects on the ground of the Death Star's superweapon firing, rather than watching the destruction from space or its aftermath (for example, the absence of Alderaan in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), where only a debris field remains). In fact, the film offers two examples of the effects on people on the planet: first the destruction of Jedha City, and later the annihilation of the Imperial base on the planet Scarif.
- #124
In a first for all Star Wars films, all the planets are identified on screen with a title card… except two: the ringed planet where Krennic finds Galen Erso, and Mustafar, Darth Vader's volcanic base.
- #125
In Spaceballs (1987), Mel Brooks's parody of the original Star Wars films, the main characters fight to prevent the villainous Dark Helmet from seizing the atmosphere of the planet Druidia. Druidia itself is protected by a shield surrounding the planet, accessible through a large hatch, a technology never used in the actual Star Wars universe… Perhaps as a nod to the parody, the Imperial planet Scarif is protected by a shield surrounding the planet, accessible through a large hatch. The only difference is that Druidia's was a glass shield, while Scarif's was an energy field.
- #126
This is the first Star Wars film not to include the franchise's famous Wilhelm scream, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017). According to sound editor Matthew Wood, this was a deliberate choice as a way to "move on."
- #127
Other titles considered for this film during production included "Rise of the Empire," "Shadow of the Death Star" and "Dark Times." The title "Rogue One" was finally decided upon when they determined it was not part of the Skywalker saga; it is the "rogue" one.
- #128
The large 'podracer engine' seen on both the planets Jakku and D'Qar in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) reappears on Yavin IV in Rogue One. It could be seen in the first official cast photo and in the scene where the rebels form a group to help Jyn.
- #129
Michael Giacchino wrote Jyn's Theme before the other musical pieces.
- #130
Filming on the film was reported to have begun on 1 July 2015 at Pinewood Studios in London, England.
- #131
It is the second theatrical Star Wars film not scored by John Williams, after Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).
- #132
It is the second film to open with an upward tilt rather than a downward tilt, after Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002).
- #133
In the original cut, the Death Star was a far more ambiguous threat that the characters did not fully grasp until they saw its power used on Jedha, which put the audience — already familiar with the Death Star — slightly ahead of the characters for much of the film. The reshoots added much earlier information making it clear that the threat was a planet-killer, in order to close that gap.
- #134
Contains a major spoiler — show
Among the code names for various projects is one called "War-Mantle." Its purpose would not be revealed until The Bad Batch (2021). The project aimed to rebuild the Imperial Army with human soldiers recruited after the end of the Clone Wars.
- #135
On Yavin IV, a sentry in the lookout tower uses a device to track ships landing and taking off. When Rogue One lifts off, the sentry appears to be caught unprepared because he is not using his device.
- #136
The alias 'Lianna' used by Jyn was used by Mara Jade in Star Wars Legends novels such as Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy.
- #137
Contains a major spoiler — show
Darth Vader has only nine lines of dialogue.
- #138
In the original cut, before the reshoots, the film jumped directly from the opening sequence on Lah'mu to Jyn being brought to see the Rebel leadership, where she is told they have intercepted an encrypted Imperial communication indicating that a major weapons test is imminent. The reshoots added the scene of Jyn in prison and Cassian on the Ring of Kafrene, and cut the references to the intercepted Imperial broadcast in order to reframe where the Rebellion got its information and add additional context.
- #139
Instead of the earlier macrobinoculars used in the original trilogy, Jyn uses the same quadnoculars (a type of binoculars) as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). This means the quadnocular design was used in the timeline much earlier than initially thought.
- #140
Cinematographer Greig Fraser used Ultra Panavision 70 anamorphic lenses on the film.
- #141
This is the second time composer Michael Giacchino has scored a film in a series whose popular theme music was composed by John Williams. The first was Jurassic World (2015) (after already scoring several Jurassic Park-related games). He also scored several games in the Medal of Honor (1999) series that were inspired by Williams's score in general and by Saving Private Ryan (1998) in particular.
- #142
It is the third Star Wars film rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America. The previous films to receive that rating were Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #143
The character of Saw Gerrera (and even his name) appears to be a tribute to the Argentine freedom fighter Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. Both men were seen as extremists in their struggles against dictatorships, which led to mixed views of their legacies.
- #144
Original Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were to take small roles on Jedha. Photographs of them on set and in costume exist, but they do not appear in the finished film.
- #145
Contains a major spoiler — show
It is the first Star Wars film to feature a vacation-like planet. The planet Scarif (also known as the Maldives), full of leafy palm trees, sunny weather and clear blue seas, was the Empire's designated storage site for the Death Star plans.
- #146
The Citadel where the Imperial data is stored, and the planet Scarif, recall the planet Rakata Prime, which first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003).
- #147
Contains a major spoiler — show
The scene in which Chirrut walks through crossfire to open the communications link key while chanting his Force mantra recalls a scene in Little Big Man (1970) in which Old Lodge Skins walks toward the river during the Sand Creek massacre, claiming to be invisible. It also somewhat resembles the opening scene of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), in which R2-D2 and C-3PO move unharmed through blaster fire as the Stormtroopers first board the Tantive IV.
- #148
Aaron Paul, Edgar Ramírez and Sam Claflin were considered for the male lead.
- #149
Rogue One was described as the Star Wars prequel story that fans had always wanted.
- #150
Despite being a character brand, this is the first Star Wars film in which Darth Vader says the word "choke."
- #151
The call sign Bodhi Rook gives for the stolen Imperial ship is SW-0608. "SW" stands for "Star Wars"; the Rogue One team has 6 main members (Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Bodhi Rook, K2-SO, Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus); and it is the 8th official live-action Star Wars film to be released.
- #152
During IMAX 70mm screenings, a 7-minute opening sequence from Dunkirk (2017) played before the film. In addition, Rogue One was one of only two features to receive an IMAX 70mm release in 2016; the other was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
- #153
It was incorrectly speculated that Jyn Erso was the mother of the character Rey from the previously released Star Wars film Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #154
Diego Luna said that director Gareth Edwards arranged a meeting with him and that he was not sure what the meeting would involve. "I was sitting there going, like, 'What does he want from me?'" Luna said. "Does he want the number of an actor or does he want me to help him with Gael [García Bernal]?" Edwards wanted none of those things. Instead, he wanted Luna to audition for the film because of the actor's performance in the 2001 cult coming-of-age classic. "The director told me, 'I want to make a film that in this universe is very realistic in tone, close to what you did in Y Tu Mamá También,'" Luna recalled. "And I thought, 'What?'" Luna credited Edwards for being "crazy enough to think there was a place for me in this project too." Luna has previously shared how Edwards felt inspired by Y Tu Mamá También when making Rogue One. "He wanted to make a very particular Star Wars film with a different acting style and a hyper-realistic tone bordering on naturalism," Luna told Vanity Fair. "He wanted to create something almost documentary-like in tone. He said, 'I want them to improvise, to deal with the characters and the dynamics between them. I would love to feel like I'm watching something like Y Tu Mamá También.'" This convinced Luna to audition, though at first not all the studio executives shared the same vision. Even so, Luna was excited about the possibility of being "myself" in Rogue One while bringing together independent films and blockbuster action films. "There was a great cast making the kind of cinema I make, but in their contexts," Luna said to O'Brien. "Felicity [Jones], Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, it was a cast of people making small films and dramas entirely about storytelling in their own countries."
- #155
Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso) was born in the year Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) was released.
- #156
Chirrut says "I'm one with the force, the force is with me" 20 times. Baze says it 3 times.
- #157
Joel Edgerton, Dominic West, Mark Strong, Taylor Kitsch, Joel Kinnaman, Sam Worthington, Charlie Hunnam and Gerard Butler were said to be appearing in the film. West actually had a very brief role as a palace guard in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), while Edgerton plays Luke Skywalker's uncle Owen Lars in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
- #158
The Death Star plans are kept in a secure facility on the planet Scarif. The name Scarif bears a striking resemblance to the acronym SCIF, which stands for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. A SCIF is a secure facility used to store sensitive or classified data.
- #159
The entire main cast and Gareth Edwards attended a special panel at Star Wars Celebration London, held at the Excel Center, while reshoots were taking place at Pinewood Studios in London in July 2016. Ben Mendelsohn entered the auditorium, strode through the audience, and took the stage in full Imperial costume accompanied by a squad of Death Troopers.
- #160
Nine actors from Doctor Who (2005) appear in this film: Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Warwick Davis as Weeteef Cyubee, Daniel Mays as Tivik, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Senator Pamlo, Michael Smiley as Dr. Evazan, Ariyon Bakare as Blue Four, Paul Kasey as Admiral Raddus, Jimmy Vee as R2-D2 and Spencer Wilding as Darth Vader. Alistair Petrie, who plays General Draven, also did voice work on Doctor Who's audio adventures.
- #161
Simon Kinberg turned down the screenwriting duties due to other commitments after Gary Whitta departed. Christopher McQuarrie contributed a script revision before Chris Weitz signed on to continue the writing duties (though he went unlisted in the credits).
- #162
It is unusual for a Star Wars film to be set in the Classic Trilogy era and not to feature a Star Destroyer in its first scene. However, in keeping with tradition, a ship is seen either flying away from or toward the camera.
- #163
Corporal Tonc is played by Jordan Stephens, known in the United Kingdom for his music career as one half of the duo Rizzle Kicks.
- #164
After its release, this film became the first entry in the Star Wars anthology series.
- #165
Krennic's signature white cape was meant to be worn in only one scene, but Ben Mendelsohn liked it so much that he wore it in every scene he appeared in.
- #166
After pitching the story idea to Kathleen Kennedy, John Knoll left the meeting thinking nothing more would come of it. About a week later, he received a phone call saying it was going to happen.
- #167
Given that K-2SO is nearly 30 cm taller than Alan Tudyk, he played most of his scenes either on stilts or with a cut-off head attached to his own.
- #168
This is the eighth live-action Star Wars film (excluding the three TV films not considered canon).
- #169
This is Gareth Edwards's third feature film.
- #170
Contains a major spoiler — show
This is the first live-action film since Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) in which the armored Darth Vader uses a lightsaber.
- #171
When George Lucas saw the finished film, he was far more excited than he had been after watching Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #172
Contains a major spoiler — show
Jyn knows "Stardust," the project's important code name, as her nickname — at the start of the film, when Krennic and his troops land, Galen Erso urgently tells his young daughter to go gather her things and adds, "I love you, Stardust."
- #173
Jyn learns that the Empire is researching hyperspace tracking. The Last Jedi, the film released immediately after Rogue One, shows the First Order using a device that makes exactly that possible 34 years later.
- #174
Alan Tudyk (K-2SO) played the pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the series Firefly (2002) and its follow-up film Serenity (2005). The Star Wars films were among Joss Whedon's influences behind Firefly/Serenity. The series followed a crew of former galactic war veterans who turn to space piracy, taking legal or illegal jobs as they try to make a living and evade an interplanetary government.
- #175
Contains a major spoiler — show
Riz Ahmed's first week of filming was his death scene.
- #176
Before it was confirmed that Ben Mendelsohn would play the new character Orson Krennic, it was rumored that he would play Grand Admiral Thrawn.
- #177
This is the second live-action Star Wars film to feature a female lead character. The first was Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- #178
A piece of concept art was shown to fans at a "Star Wars" Celebration, but as of April 2016 it was unclear whether this scene would be in the finished film.
- #179
Gareth Edwards said he was happy to make a Star Wars film: "I'm very happy to move on and do my thing. It's the thing that was in my life before I knew what a film was."
- #180
In one or two freeze-frame bonuses, you can spot a VCX-100, the Ghost from Rebels, among the rebel fleet. If you listen closely to the rebels' communications, you can hear General Syndulla's name mentioned. This led to a debate over whether the one holding the title of General was Cham Syndulla or a promoted Hera Syndulla. The Word of God confirms that it is Hera, not her father, and that she was promoted. Also, when the General is warned to stop the attack on Eadu, the Rebels character Chopper can be seen and heard.
- #181
Simon Farnaby was offered the role of Blue Five by one of the film's producers during a phone call. He initially turned it down because he was in the middle of writing Paddington 2 (2017). It was director and co-writer Paul King who encouraged him to take the role despite his deadlines.
- #182
There had previously been plans to include Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) using a combination of archival footage and digital effects, but the idea was abandoned.
- #183
Contains a major spoiler — show
Five months before the film's premiere, during the Rogue One panel at Star Wars Celebration London 2016, Jiang Wen, who does not speak fluent English, accidentally revealed the final fate of Donnie Yen's Chirrut Îmwe in front of a packed fan hall.
- #184
Contains a major spoiler — show
Vader's line as he uses the Force to choke Krennic, "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, director," is a clever play on words. It means that Krennic's power ambitions (his aspirations) are his undoing, and also refers to him gagging on his own lung secretions (his aspirations) as Vader chokes him.
- #185
The scene in which rebel fighters open fire on stormtroopers fleeing through the doors of the storage facility and being shot dead recalls what happened to American troops trying to disembark from landing craft at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
- #186
Riz Ahmed revealed that he was hospitalized after experiencing "intense" pain while shooting the Star Wars prequel Rogue One. Ahmed said that after the "very intense" health scare he suffered while making the 2016 film, he had to go through an experience of "grapple with the grief but also the acceptance." Ahmed shared that his "body just kind of, like, gave up on" him and that he "was extremely exhausted" while filming the movie. His health deteriorated so badly that he was hospitalized "for a brief period" and had to "really try and regain my strength." "It was like building myself up from scratch," he said of the hospitalization. "It was super scary and intense and quite prolonged actually." Ahmed said it "really wasn't clear" why he felt ill. "Something very silent and very intense had happened to me and I wasn't getting better quickly," he continued. The pain got so bad that Ahmed wondered whether he would get his "life back." He said the uncertainty about his health led to a "deep kind of grief and fear and terror." However, the experience also helped him discover "a kind of tremendous liberation and gratitude and acceptance." "I always think that when you're brought to your knees, you're halfway towards praying," Ahmed continued. He later added: "When something is taken from you, you become even more acutely aware of everything you have - and on a physical level, on a health level, you realize you don't control anything, man. You don't control a single thing. You don't even control your body." Following the health scare, Ahmed explained that the situation helped him realize that "everything is a gift." He continued, "In the strangest way, I have never felt more grateful, more at peace and happier than when I felt like I was going to lose my whole being. Life."
- #187
This is the first Star Wars film without the involvement of legendary sound designer Ben Burtt.
- #188
Tony Gilroy later admitted that he found the character Darth Vader very boring and deliberately chose not to include him in Andor (2022).
- #189
It grossed $26 million domestically on Christmas Day, the second-biggest Christmas Day gross in history after Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), which grossed $49 million.
- #190
Before it was confirmed that the role would be the new character Cassian Andor, it was said that Diego Luna would play Biggs Darklighter.
- #191
With this film, the Star Wars series' global box office gross surpassed $7 billion. It was the fourth film series to reach this milestone, after Harry Potter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and James Bond.
- #192
Tony Gilroy recalled being brought in to extensively re-edit Gareth Edwards' version of the film: "I came in after the director's decision. I have a screenplay credit that was easily won in arbitration. I was never interested in Star Wars. So I had no respect for it whatsoever. I wasn't afraid of it. And [Lucasfilm] was in such a swamp... they were in such terrible, terrible trouble [with the film] that the only thing you could do was improve their position."
- #193
Hayden Christensen named Rogue One as one of his favorite Star Wars films.
- #194
Tony Gilroy says he had difficulty getting Donnie Yen to return for two months of reshoots in the summer of 2016, a much longer period than had originally been planned in the initial production schedule.
- #195
Contains a major spoiler — show
Alan Tudyk had already appeared in a string of Disney films (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana) plus a Disney animated series (Star vs. The Forces of Evil), and rather than being compared to John Ratzenberger in Pixar films, he came to be associated with a major plot event in the story. The "Everybody Dies" ending can be counted, and his character is the first to die at the end.
- #196
It was the closing gala film of the 13th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival.
- #197
Simon Farnaby (Farns Monsbee) and Richard Glover (Red Twelve) also appeared in The Mighty Boosh (2003).
- #198
Contains a major spoiler — show
Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will recognize the sound effect used when Darth Vader chokes Director Krennic. The sound effect was widely used in the series.
- #199
Forest Whitaker had previously appeared alongside Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in Gather Ye Acorns (1986).
- #200
This is the second of two Star Wars films to feature a completed and operational Death Star. The other film is Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Interestingly, this newer film features a newly completed battle station, while the earlier film depicts the destruction of the battle station.
- #201
The scene featuring Daniel Mays with Diego Luna was shot by Tony Gilroy as part of the summer 2016 reshoots.
- #202
Jyn Erso's nickname "Hallik" means "pimp" in Swedish.
- #203
Peter Jackson was present during the filming of one of Darth Vader's scenes.
- #204
Jyn Erso was supposed to be only 21 years old. Felicity Jones was 32 when she shot the film.
- #205
While Gareth Edwards was in post-production on Godzilla (2014), he was asked to attend a meeting about Star Wars. Although he was thoroughly exhausted from working on a big-budget SFX film, he did not hesitate to meet with Kathleen Kennedy.
- #206
Wen Jiang, who played Baze, had never seen a Star Wars film before signing on. (American films were not shown in his native China when he was growing up.)
- #207
Paramount initially asked Lucasfilm to change the film's title, worried it would cause confusion with the similarly titled Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015). This happened even though the two films were released a year apart.
- #208
The film was given an IMAX re-release in 2022, shortly before Andor (2022) premiered on Disney+.
- #209
It was the second highest-grossing film of 2016.
- #210
Duncan Pow and Guy Henry both appeared in the long-running BBC medical drama series Holby City (1999).
- #211
Alex Freed wrote the novelization.
- #212
Gareth Edwards wanted to cast Riz Ahmed as Bodhi after seeing him in Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler (2014). Although Ahmed accepted the role immediately, that did not stop him from bombarding Edwards with homemade audition tapes.
- #213
It is dedicated to the memory of longtime ILM artist Chris Bayz.
- #214
Bodhi Rook is called "pilot" 25 times over the course of the film.
- #215
Felicity Jones is a big Star Wars fan and took the opportunity to appear in the film.
- #216
Bodhi's role grew during the film's development because Gareth Edwards did not want to miss the opportunity to use an actor of Riz Ahmed's caliber.
- #217
During the events of the film, Jyn Erso was 21 years old, whereas Felicity Jones was 33 when it was released.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work