While Gareth Edwards and his creative team were rummaging through the Lucasfilm archives, they 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 this film.
The character Grand Moff Tarkin, played by Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), is brought back by Cushing despite his death in 1994, and is "performed" by Cushing, recreated with CGI by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) with the approval of his estate, and is actually played 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 by wearing head-mounted cameras on set that recorded all his facial movements. 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 played by Ingvild Deila, who greatly helped recreate her facial features with CGI.
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 expressed this view, and surprisingly Kennedy agreed and gave him permission to kill off the characters.
Alan Tudyk, who plays 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 character as Cassian and produce a smile, as can be seen in the final film.
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…"
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 comically cursed at Tudyk. Tudyk later said that the "Fuck you" he got from Daniels was one of the greatest compliments he had ever received.
R2-D2 and C-3PO have a brief cameo, which makes Anthony Daniels the only actor to appear in every film. (He appears as another character in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)).
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).
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 in his costume the Sith robes were initially wrapped over his armor and the eye holes of the mask had red lenses. 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.
The studio had only two options to play Chirrut: Donnie Yen and Jet Li. Yen was approached because of his $4 million salary versus Li's $10 million. 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 making his character blind was his idea.
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 filmed 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).
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 the galaxy's ordinary inhabitants, especially after the fall of the Jedi Order, seemed more interesting.
After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, John Knoll heard some of the first concepts for the new "Star Wars" films and was unimpressed by all of them. He began developing his own idea for a film and started discussing 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.
Costume designer David Crossman noted 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.
At the Rebel base on Yavin IV, there are several full-scale cardboard cutouts of X-Wings and a Y-Wing fighter, using the same hangar-filling technique as in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
The space battle features Blue Squadron of X-Wings (as well as Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, also known from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)). In the original film it was supposed to be Blue Squadron, but the blue color on the fighters caused problems with the blue screen technique that could not be overcome with 1977 technology, so the color was changed to Red.
Jyn's father Galen was modeled on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. Both men share the same guilt factor of becoming an agent of death to build a weapon of mass destruction.
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."
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, replaced army helmets with Rebel head coverings 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.
Carrie Fisher (the original Princess Leia) passed away a week after the film's release in the United States. She was able to see the film before she died and reportedly screamed with joy when she saw the young version of herself at the end of the film.
Gareth Edwards instructed the art department to use only elements that existed in 1977 to make the film look contemporary with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). For example, flight control animations had to be kept as simple as possible and the urge to make them too "flashy" had to be resisted.
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 its customers' names on cups. The barista misspelled Gareth's name as "Scareth."
Chirrut is the only one who does not stumble while Chirrut, Jyn, Cassian and Baze walk around with hoods over their heads.
While talking with Jyn on Jedha before the attack on the flying tank, Cassian mentions the "Guardians of the Whills." "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 consensus among fans that the species Yoda belongs to is the Whills, but this has never been officially confirmed.
This film takes place days before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and leads directly into its events.
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 deleted.
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 was a matte painting, the actors in the foreground, 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.
This film confirms through dialogue that the Death Star can travel through hyperspace (although it is never seen entering, in, or exiting hyperspace).
Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna and Felicity Jones lived together on a boat during filming in the Maldives.
During the pilot briefing, no copy of the Death Star plan data was available, as seen on screen toward the end of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), which required the visual effects team to redraw all the animation frame by frame for this film.
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…").
It includes digitally inserted 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.
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 cut off Baba's arm after a fight in the bar. The line is lifted directly from that scene.
It has retroactively emerged that the name of Rogue Squadron, the group of pilots led by Luke Skywalker at the Battle of Hoth, was inspired by Jyn's team, who chose "Rogue One" as their 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.
When Vader is first seen, he is in a Bacta tank similar to the one Luke uses in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) after being wounded by the Wampa. This is a nod to his (Vader's) wider-universe backstory, where he is known to have spent long periods in a Bacta tank in the hope of repairing the damage the lava on Mustafar did to his lungs, hating having to rely on a mask to breathe.
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 X-Wings, to join the assault. The battle severely depletes the Rebel starfighter forces, and their leader, General Merrick, is killed during the engagement. 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."
The rebel who launches the Tantive IV into space with a lever in the final scene.
The Star Wars veteran actor plays Weeteef Cyu-Bee, one of Saw Gerrera's militia members.
At one point Chirrut Îmwe 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.
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. Although the reason for this decision is never explicitly stated, it is likely that 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 some form of galaxy-wide martial law and to rid himself of the last governing body standing between him and absolute power.
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 Jedi enormous power over the Force.
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 team 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 was walking through the tunnel of the Imperial Archive to get 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 in the end they spent half an hour on about 17 takes. When Edwards had to put the trailer together, 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.
After voicing Darth Vader in four Star Wars films and numerous related projects, James Earl Jones returned once again to voice the character. The last theatrical film in which he voiced the character was Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), but his most recent voice work was for Star Wars: Rebels (2014).
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.
In Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), as 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.
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.
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 the creation of this additional set, director Gareth Edwards chose to use Canary Wharf station for its striking futuristic design. The production could only use the site at night, between closing and opening hours, leaving only a few hours for set dressing 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 about it.
As Jyn hurriedly packs her things, 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.
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 Star Wars Theme: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and subsequent Star Wars productions.
In the background of Jyn Erso's flashback to her childhood, when her father Galen Erso is talking with Orson Krennic, the planet Coruscant, capital of the galaxy, is visible.
Alan Tudyk initially turned down the role of K-2SO because the start of filming clashed 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 in 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 that this has become one of the best roles he has ever 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 short scene appearing as his character Wray Nerely from "Con Man," but the scene was deleted.
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 brand, this is the first Star Wars film in which Darth Vader says the word "choke." 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. 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. 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 nevertheless has the standard "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" opening text. The first Star Wars film to introduce locations with on-screen captions. 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 shot in the 70 mm widescreen film format since The Black Cauldron (1985).
Composer Alexandre Desplat's original score was rejected because of extensive reshoots made to resolve tone and story issues. This extended the post-production schedule, during which he was unavailable due to his commitments on Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017). His replacement, Michael Giacchino, had only one month to write the score.
In a scene on Yavin IV, an announcer can be heard calling out to "General Syndulla." This is a reference to Hera Syndulla from Star Wars: Rebels (2014).
A secret Imperial technology used by the First Order in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) is mentioned. While Jyn is searching for the Death Star plans in the Scarif vault, she sees a subject titled "Hyperspace Tracking." This is the technology that allows the First Order to track the Resistance fleet even as it travels through hyperspace.
Tarkin, played by Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), is now played by Guy Henry, with a CGI copy 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.
Gerrera's line "What will you become?" used in the trailer was improvised by Forest Whitaker.
As the rebels prepare to attack Scarif, Captain Antilles can be heard being paged. Captain Raymus Antilles is the character killed by Darth Vader immediately after the opening battle of 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.
In trailers and promotional footage, Jyn and Cassian are seen running through the Imperial base and along the beach on the planet Scarif, with Jyn carrying the data storage device holding the Death Star plans. These scenes were not used in the final film, in which the data storage device is only taken to the top of the tower, as were many promotional shots, such as Jyn standing without her helmet in an Imperial corridor and a TIE Fighter rising in front of her on the podium atop the tower on Scarif. According to director Gareth Edwards, some shots were cut because the film's final act was changed and the characters ultimately do not survive. Originally 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 location in the same building. During his interview with the Directors Guild, Edwards also admitted that at the end of each shooting day, the cast 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 ended up in trailers and promotional photos.
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.
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 referred to only as "Governor Tarkin." That is how Princess Leia addressed him when she was brought before him. In this film he is again referred to as "Governor Tarkin." The title "Moff" is never spoken in any 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.
At the beginning of the film, fallen statues on the desert planet Jedha are seen at least twice in the form of a Jedi lying on his side. The second shows him holding a lightsaber. These are the remains of an ancient Jedi temple, because Jedha was a holy world of worship for believers in the Force.
This is the first live-action Star Wars film not to use the "crawl" 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, chapter 1/2, especially since the events ultimately connect back-to-back immediately.
During the attack on the shield, the Y-wing pilot "Gold Leader" tells the pilots to "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).
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).
Some parts of Michael Giacchino's score include reworkings of John Williams's original Star Wars music. The most notable of these 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 also appear several more times throughout the film.
Almost none of the footage and dialogue from Rogue One's original promotional trailer appears in the final theatrical cut. This is presumed to be due to the film's extensive reshoots.
Tony Gilroy was paid 5 million dollars for his 12 weeks of work revising the script, particularly the third act, and on the reshoots. He also advised the producers to hire his brother, editor John Gilroy, to edit the reshot footage. None of the footage from the first two trailers appears in the final film.
According to Alan Tudyk, an alternative death scene was shot for both himself 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.
The music for this film was composed by Michael Giacchino. He has scored every film directed by J. J. Abrams, except Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
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 announced that James Earl Jones would voice Darth Vader while he was portrayed on screen by a stunt performer. Three years later, Christensen would make a vocal cameo as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and finally returned as Anakin/Darth Vader three years after that in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
The scene in which Darth Vader slaughters the Rebels was added during reshoots just two and a half months before the film's release.
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. This phrase is uttered by various characters in all the other Star Wars films.
It is the first Star Wars film to identify locations with on-screen captions.
The planet where Jyn is taken from the Empire by the Rebel Alliance is named Wobani, an anagram of Obi-Wan.
HIDDEN MICKEY: During the Battle of Scarif, smoke in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head rises from an exploding warship. At about 1 hour 45 minutes.
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.
The first (and so far only) Star Wars film in which no wipe transitions are used except for the transition into the end title sequence (which is exactly the same as in the original films).
The first theatrical Star Wars film to have dialogue in its closing scene.
The reason the opening crawl is not shown was explained by Gareth Edwards in an interview in January 2017. "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 scrolling words at the beginning are actually floating somewhere in space - we just need to fund NASA well enough that their deep space telescopes find them. Let's crowdfund this and make it happen." A few fans reached out to Whitta on Twitter and asked 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."
In both the non-standard Legends Star Wars universe and standard material such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014), the color of a kyber crystal determines the color of the lightsaber it powers. Jyn's crystal is white, which makes her crystal extremely rare. The only character in canon who wields a white lightsaber is Ahsoka Tano, Anakin's former padawan in the two animated series.
Because a large part of the film was shot at Pinewood Studios near Wembley, where Riz Ahmed grew up, Riz spent most of the shoot living at his parents' house.
The tall tripod towers on Galen Erso's farm are moisture vaporators very similar to those found on the Lars farm where Luke Skywalker works in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
The writer/director of Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) plays an Imperial soldier controlling the Death Star's superlaser.
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.
Supervising sound editor Matthew Wood confirmed that in the Yavin IV scene, as the ships set out for the battle at Scarif, David Ankrum makes a newly recorded small vocal cameo as Wedge Antilles. He is credited as 'additional voices' in the titles and is not listed as Wedge in the cast list.
Alan Tudyk delivered some of his dialogue as improvisation.
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.
The film was sent to theaters under the name "Los Alamos."
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).
The Hammerhead-class cruiser that crashes into 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).
The space battle features a Blue Squadron made up of X-wings (as well as Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, also known from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)). In the original film it was supposed to be Blue Squadron, but because the blue color on the fighter craft caused problems with the blue screen technique that could not be overcome with 1977 technology, the color was changed to Red. This also provides a plot point explaining why Blue Squadron is not seen in later films (chronologically), because Blue Squadron is the only squadron that lands on the surface of Scarif before the shield closes and is ultimately destroyed in the battle.
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 rescue the Death Star plans.
Chirrut Îmwe, the blind Guardian of the Whills, is based on Zatoichi, the hero of a long-running Japanese film series.
Dermot Mulroney plays cello and performs a solo in this film's music orchestra. Mulroney, better known as an actor (mostly in romantic comedy), is also a classical cellist who occasionally plays in recording sessions for film scores. He has also been part of 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 series.
(At 28:37) As Cassian and Jyn walk through the crowded streets of Jedha, an Imperial Research Droid (Probot) similar to the one Han Solo and Chewbacca encounter in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) passes in the background.
The Ghost ship from Star Wars: Rebels (2014) can be seen in the upper left corner of the frame in the high-angle shot taken outside the base on Yavin 4.
When Leia appears, it continues the tradition of at least one "Skywalker" character appearing before the credits in the closing scene of every film. 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) (where Anakin also appears in one of the closing shots), and alone in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
Tatiana Maslany, Rooney Mara and Kate Mara auditioned for the female lead of Jyn Erso, which went to Felicity Jones.
In the first trailer there is 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 when Baze and Chirrut first fight the stormtroopers. However, the black-and-white markings of this X-wing indicate that it is one of Saw Gerrera's partisan ships.
Cassian tells Jyn that he is looking for her sister because his contact "went missing." Earlier at the trading post, Cassian had actually been forced to kill his contact when the stormtroopers discovered them.
There are currently 12 Star Wars films. The two characters who now appear in all but one of the films 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.
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. This effect was seen in the trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) but was not used in the final cut of the film. 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).
Although it is set in the same time period as Star Wars: Rebels (2014), it turned out that the characters from the series would not cross over into the film. Despite a few verbal references to the characters in "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 crossed over from a series: he was originally developed for the abandoned TV project "Star Wars: Underworld," making his debut in The Clone Wars (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).
It is the first Star Wars film in which the film's title is actually spoken by the characters in the film ("Rogue One" is used as a ship's call sign).
Alan Tudyk plays the droid K-2SO through motion capture technology. Tudyk had previously played the robot character Sonny in I, Robot (2004).
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Drewe Henley (Red Leader) all passed away in 2016.
Gareth Edwards named Blade Runner (1982), Alien (1979), Apocalypse Now (1979) and Baraka (1992) as visual inspirations for the film's look.
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."
In the German release of both this film and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), original female cast member Alexandra Lange voiced Mon Mothma, even though the two films were made 34 years apart. Mon Mothma is about four years younger in Rogue One than she is in Return of the Jedi.
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.
Leia gets the last word 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.
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.
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 circling the Rebel base on Yavin IV.
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 in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), where he was played by the uncredited Ian Selby. His name first appeared in the Star Wars novelization ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster.
Very early in 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. This is because the change was made after the action figures had been produced. However, the film's novelization confirms that Jyn is given the rank of sergeant by Lieutenant Taidu Sefla.
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.
The Rebel starship Ghost from Star Wars: Rebels (2014) appears in the Battle of Scarif.
Several of the beach scenes were shot in the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.
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.
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)). He was later joined in this record by Benicio Del Toro (James Bond: Licence to Kill (1989), MCU: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)).
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. It was seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and later in The Mandalorian (2019).
As Jyn is being transported to prison, the vehicle she is transported in is a Clone Turbo Tank, which first appeared in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
When Jyn is taken aboard the ship to begin the mission (and her adventure in the story), Cassian has a weapon with which he must decide whether or not to shoot her. Like most handheld weapons/explosives in Star Wars, it is based on a real firearm. His was based on a German Luger P-08, identifiable by its grip and unique rear section.
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.
Michael Giacchino is the only composer to have scored films for both the Star Wars and Star Trek series. He had previously composed music for J. J. Abrams' Star Trek films. Rogue One is Giacchino's first entry into the Star Wars series.
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 instances of Latin characters being seen in the Star Wars universe. A similar Z letter is also seen on the hull of the Snowspeeders in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
In the Rebel briefing scene, a grey-haired, mustachioed officer stands to General Draven's right. This character is believed to be the same character as one of the officers present during the medal ceremony in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), standing next to Commander Bob Hudsol and behind R2-D2 in the final shot. The character has been identified as Colonel Anj Zavor, despite wearing a general's rank badge in Rogue One.
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.
This is the only Star Wars film to present the immediate effects on the ground of the Death Star's superweapon firing, rather than showing 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 presents 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.
In a first for all Star Wars films, all of the planets are identified on screen with a title card… except for two: the ringed planet where Krennic finds Galen Erso, and Mustafar, Darth Vader's volcanic base.
In Spaceballs (1987), Mel Brooks's parody of the original Star Wars films, the main characters fight to prevent the villainous Dark Helmet from taking over the atmosphere of the planet Druidia. Druidia itself is protected by a shield surrounding the planet, accessible through a large airlock; this is a technology never used in the actual Star Wars universe… Perhaps as a nod to the spoof, the Imperial planet Scarif is protected by a shield surrounding the planet, accessible through a large airlock. The only difference was that Druidia's was a glass shield, while Scarif's was an energy field.
This is the first Star Wars film not to include the series' 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."
Other titles this film was in production under included "Rise of the Empire," "Shadow of the Death Star" and "Dark Times." The title "Rogue One" was decided when they finally determined it was not part of the Skywalker saga; it is the "rogue" one.
The large 'podracer engine' seen on both Jakku and the planet 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 assemble a group to help Jyn.
Michael Giacchino wrote Jyn's Theme before the other musical pieces.
Filming for this film was reported to have begun on July 1, 2015, at Pinewood Studios in London, England.
This is the second theatrical Star Wars film for which John Williams would not compose the music, after Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).
This is the second film to open by tilting up rather than down, after Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002).
In the original cut, the Death Star was a much more ambiguous threat that the characters could not fully grasp until they saw its power used on Jedha; this put the audience, who knew the Death Star well, slightly ahead of the characters for a long stretch of the film. The reshoots added much earlier information making it clear that the threat was a planet-killer, in order to close this gap.
Among the code names of 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.
On Yavin IV, a sentry in the lookout tower uses a device to track the landing and takeoff of ships. When Rogue One takes off, the sentry appears to be caught unprepared because he is not using his device.
The 'Lianna' alias Jyn uses was used by Mara Jade in Star Wars Legends novels such as Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy.
Darth Vader has only nine lines of dialogue.
In the original cut, before the reshoots, the film jumps from the opening sequence on Lah'mu directly 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.
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 much earlier in the timeline than originally thought.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser used Ultra Panavision 70 anamorphic lenses on this film.
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 of these was Jurassic World (2015) (after already scoring several Jurassic Park-related games). He also scored several games in the Medal of Honor (1999) series inspired by Williams's score in general and by Saving Private Ryan (1998) in particular.
The third Star Wars film to be rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America. The previous films to receive this rating were Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
The character of Saw Gerrera (and even his name) appears to be a nod 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 legacy.
Original Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were to take small roles on Jedha. Photos exist of them on set and in costume, but they do not appear in the finished film.
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 storage site designated by the Empire for the Death Star plans.
The Citadel where the Imperial data is stored, and the planet Scarif, are reminiscent of the planet Rakata Prime, which first appeared in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) video game.
The scene where Chirrut walks through crossfire to open the communications link 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 bears some resemblance to the opening scene of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), in which R2-D2 and C-3PO advance unharmed through blaster fire as the Stormtroopers first board the Tantive IV.
Aaron Paul, Edgar Ramírez and Sam Claflin were considered for the male lead.
It was described as the "Star Wars" prequel story fans had always wanted.
Despite being a character brand, this is the first Star Wars film in which Darth Vader says the word "choke."
The opening sequence on the planet Lah'mu was shot at Mýrdalssandur, a flood plain in Iceland. Because the terrain was so rugged, the road was very rough, which made getting to the set somewhat taxing for the crew.
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 this is the 8th official live-action Star Wars film to be released.
During IMAX 70mm screenings, the 7-minute opening sequence of Dunkirk (2017) preceded 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).
It was incorrectly speculated that Jyn Erso was the mother of the character Rey from the previously released SW film Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
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 these. Instead, he wanted Luna to audition for this 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 in this universe that 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, but at first not all the studio executives shared the same vision. Even so, Luna was excited about the possibility of being 'himself' in Rogue One while bringing together independent films and blockbuster action movies. "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 in their own countries and dramas that are entirely about storytelling."
Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso) was born the year Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) was released.
Chirrut says "I'm one with the force, the force is with me" 20 times. Baze says it 3 times.
Joel Edgerton, Dominic West, Mark Strong, Taylor Kitsch, Joel Kinnaman, Sam Worthington, Charlie Hunnam and Gerard Butler were said to be appearing in this 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).
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.
The entire main cast and Gareth Edwards took part in a special panel at Star Wars Celebration London, held at the Excel Center in July 2016, while reshoots were taking place at Pinewood Studios in London. Ben Mendelsohn entered the auditorium, strode through the audience and came on stage in full Imperial costume, accompanied by a group of Death Troopers.
Nine actors from Doctor Who (2005) appear in this film: Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Warwick Davis as Weeteef Cyubee, Daniel Mays as Tivikand, 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, has also done voice work on Doctor Who audio adventures.
Simon Kinberg turned down the screenwriting duties after Gary Whitta departed, due to other commitments. Christopher McQuarrie contributed a script revision before Chris Weitz signed on to continue the writing duties (though he went unlisted in the credits).
It is unusual for a Star Wars film to be set during the Classic Trilogy era and for a Star Destroyer not to appear in the first scene. However, in keeping with tradition, a ship is seen either flying away from or toward the camera.
Corporal Tonc is played by Jordan Stephens, known in the United Kingdom for his music career as one half of the duo Rizzle Kicks.
After this film was released, it became the first film in the Star Wars anthology series.
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.
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.
At his first meeting with Kathleen Kennedy about taking on the project, Gareth Edwards was astonished to learn that she was talking only to him and not to other directors.
Given that K-2SO is nearly 30 cm taller than Alan Tudyk, he played most of his scenes either on stilts or with a severed head attached to his own head.
This is the eighth live-action "Star Wars" film (excluding the three TV films not considered canon).
This is Gareth Edwards's third feature film.
It 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.
When George Lucas saw the finished version of the film, he was far more excited than he had been after watching Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
Jyn knows "Stardust," the project's important code name, as her nickname - at the beginning of the film, when Krennic and his soldiers land, Galen Erso urgently tells his young daughter to go pack her things and adds, "I love you, Stardust."
Jyn learns that the Empire is conducting research into hyperspace tracking. The Last Jedi, the film released immediately after Rogue One, shows the First Order using a device that allows it to do exactly that 34 years later.
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 one of Joss Whedon's influences behind Firefly/Serenity. The series was about a crew of former galactic war veterans who become space pirates taking legal or illegal jobs as they try to make a living and evade an interplanetary government.
While the two are on Jedha, Cassian mentions to Jyn that the city is about to be blown up. This is a metaphor for the fight he expected, but without Krennic and Tarkin's knowledge, they need something to test the Death Star on and then destroy the city and its surroundings.
Riz Ahmed's first week of shooting was his death scene.
This was the last Star Wars film released during the lifetime of Carrie Fisher, who played Leia Organa in the original and sequel trilogies. She died in 2016, 11 days after this film's release.
Before it was confirmed that the role would be the new character Orson Krennic, it was said that Ben Mendelsohn would play Grand Admiral Thrawn.
This is the second live-action Star Wars film to feature a female lead character. The first of these was Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
The first theatrical, live-action Star Wars film not to include a Skywalker. (Darth Vader and Princess Leia are of course members of the Skywalker family, but neither uses the surname "Skywalker" in this film.)
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.
Gareth Edwards said he was happy to make a Star Wars film, saying, "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."
In one or two freeze-frame bonuses, you can see a VCX-100, the Ghost from Rebels, among the rebel fleet. If you listen closely to the rebels' communications, you notice that General Syndulla's name is mentioned. This led to a debate over whether the one holding the rank 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 received a promotion. Also, when the General is warned to stop the attack on Eadu, the Rebels character Chopper can be seen and heard.
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). Despite the deadlines, it was director and co-writer Paul King who encouraged him to take the role.
There had previously been plans to include Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) using a combination of archive footage and digital effects, but the idea was cancelled.
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.
Vader's line as he chokes Krennic, "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, director," is a clever play on words. It means that Krennic's lust for power (his aspirations) is his undoing, and at the same time refers to him gagging on his own lung secretions (his aspirations) as Vader strangles him.
The film was screened at the White House for President Barack Obama. It was the last Star Wars film released during his presidency. It was also the last Star Wars film shown in the White House Family Theater before it was demolished in 2025.
The scene in which the rebel soldiers open fire on the stormtroopers fleeing through the doors of the storage facility and are shot dead recalls what happened to American troops trying to disembark from landing craft on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
Riz Ahmed revealed that he was hospitalized after suffering "intense" pain while shooting the Star Wars prequel Rogue One. Ahmed explained that after the "very intense" health scare he experienced while making the 2016 film, he had to go through the 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 shooting the film. 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 being hospitalized. "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." But 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 sharply 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 existence. Life."
This is the first Star Wars film without the involvement of legendary sound designer Ben Burtt.
Tony Gilroy later admitted that he found the character of Darth Vader very boring and deliberately chose not to include him in Andor (2022).
It grossed 26 million dollars 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 dollars.
Before it was confirmed that the role would be the new character Cassian Andor, it was said that Diego Luna would play Biggs Darklighter.
With this film, the Star Wars series' global box office revenue surpassed 7 billion dollars. It was the fourth film series to reach this milestone, after Harry Potter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and James Bond.
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 didn't respect it in any way. 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 situation. Position."
Hayden Christensen described it as one of his favorite Star Wars films.
Tony Gilroy says he had difficulty getting Donnie Yen to return for two months of reshoots in the summer of 2016, much longer than the time originally allotted in the initial production schedule.
Alan Tudyk had already appeared in a number of Disney films (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana) plus a Disney cartoon (Star vs. The Forces of Evil), and rather than being compared to John Ratzenberger in Pixar films, he began to be associated with a major plot event in the story. "Everybody Dies" ending can be counted, and his character is the first to die at the end.
It was the closing gala film of the 13th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival.
Simon Farnaby (Farns Monsbee) and Richard Glover (Red Twelve) also appeared in The Mighty Boosh (2003).
Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will recognize the sound effect used when Darth Vader chokes Director Krennic. The sound effect is widely used in the series.
Forest Whitaker had previously appeared alongside Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in Gather Ye Acorns (1986).
This is the second of two Star Wars films to feature a completed and operational Death Star. The other 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.
The scene with Daniel Mays and Diego Luna was shot by Tony Gilroy as part of the summer 2016 reshoots.
Jyn Erso's nickname "Hallik" means "pimp" in Swedish.
Peter Jackson was present during the filming of one of the Darth Vader scenes.
Marvel published a six-issue comic book adaptation written by Jody Houser and drawn by Jan Bazaldua and Emilio Laiso.
Jyn Erso was supposed to be only 21 years old. Felicity Jones was 32 when she shot the film.
While Gareth Edwards was in post-production on Godzilla (2014), he was asked to attend a meeting about Star Wars. Although he must have been thoroughly exhausted from working on a big-budget SFX film, he did not hesitate to meet with Kathleen Kennedy.
Wen Jiang, who plays Baze, had never seen a Star Wars film before signing on. (When he was growing up, American films were not shown in his native China.)
Paramount initially asked Lucasfilm to change the film's title, worried that 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.
The film was given an IMAX re-release in 2022, shortly before Andor (2022) premiered on Disney+.
It is the second highest-grossing film of 2016.
Duncan Pow and Guy Henry appeared in the long-running BBC medical drama series Holby City (1999).
Alex Freed wrote the novelization.
After seeing Riz Ahmed in Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler (2014), Gareth Edwards wanted to cast him as Bodhi. Although Ahmed accepted the role immediately, this did not stop him from bombarding Edwards with homemade audition tapes.
It is dedicated to the memory of longtime ILM artist Chris Bayz.
Bodhi Rook is called "pilot" 25 times throughout the film.
Felicity Jones is a big Star Wars fan and took the opportunity to appear in the film.
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.
During the events of this film, Jyn Erso was 21 years old, whereas Felicity Jones was 33 when it was released.