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 "Rogue One," in theaters starting Wednesday, offers a new
perspective into the events that kicked off the "Star Wars"
phenomenon in George Lucas' 1977 "Episode IV - A New Hope."
"It's bold. It's different from the other 'Star Wars' movies. It
sets out its own different aesthetic and energy," Riz Ahmed, who
plays Imperial fighter pilot-turned-defector Bodhi Rook, told
Reuters.
Disney's "Rogue One" centers on new lead Jyn Erso (Felicity
Jones), daughter of a weapons specialist for the villainous
Darth Vader's Imperial Army.
Director Gareth Edwards said he needed little persuasion from
Lucasfilm executives to take on a prequel story that ties to the
Rebel Alliance mission at the beginning of "A New Hope."
"(I) was like, 'wait a minute, hang on, this is going to connect
directly to my favorite film of all time, like this is sacred
ground. You can't make this movie, this is wrong. No one should
do this,'" he said.
"Five seconds later, I was writing 'Please let me do this.'"
The film sees Erso tracked down by the Rebel Alliance and
embarking on a dangerous mission with rebels to new planets to
find a way to stop Darth Vader.
Humor during the tense journey comes courtesy of dry-witted new
droid K-2SO, voiced by Alan Tudyk.
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"He's not like C-3PO who is super scared and following orders, he's
the opposite. K-2SO is an enforcer droid and no one can tell him
anything," Ahmed said.
Early reviews on Tuesday have been positive and the film is expected
to gross more than $300 million worldwide this weekend.
At Tuesday's "Rogue One" London premiere, cast members said they
were relieved they could finally talk about the film.
"We were all nervous beforehand. These films are not screen-tested
or shown. The first audience was on Saturday and it was reassuring
particularly that the true die-hard 'Star Wars' fans have given it
their seal of approval," Jones said.
"There are characters making cameos from the past," said Forest
Whitaker, who plays the rebel fighter Saw Gerrera. "That was a big
secret, so it's great to be free to talk about what was going on in
the movie itself," he added.
(Additional reporting by Reuters TV in Los Angeles and London;
Editing by David Gregorio)
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