FILM · 2016
Rogue One
217 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
11 Facts From Behind the Scenes of Rogue One
- #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.
- #029
Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna and Felicity Jones lived together on a boat during filming in the Maldives.
- #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.
- #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.
- #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.
- #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.
- #082
Alan Tudyk improvised some of his dialogue that made it into the released film.
- #140
Cinematographer Greig Fraser used Ultra Panavision 70 anamorphic lenses on the film.
- #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.
- #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).
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