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Instead of walking the red carpet in the central Leicester
Square, where movie premieres are usually held in the British
capital, actors Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen and Forest
Whitaker promoted their film at the gallery, home to
contemporary artworks.
Logos from the movie were projected on the gallery's bare walls
around the main hall, dotted with Stormtroopers.
The first spin-off movie in the space saga's reboot since Disney
bought filmmaker George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd for $4 billion in
2012, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" does not follow the latest
trilogy which kicked off with last year's "The Force Awakens"
box office blockbuster.
Jones, known for "The Theory of Everything" and "Inferno", stars
as new heroine Jyn Erso, who bands together with other rebels to
steal the plans for destruction weapon, the Death Star. The new
lead follows other popular female "Star Wars" characters such as
Princess Leia and Rey.
"I looked back at those early films and used them as inspiration
but I definitely wanted Jyn to be her own person," Jones told
Reuters.
"Rogue One" is set before Lucas' 1977 "Star Wars: Episode IV - A
New Hope" movie and also stars Mexican actor Diego Luna, Chinese
actor Donnie Yen and British-born actor Riz Ahmed.
"It's the people that have to come out and fight for freedom (in
this film)," Luna said. "I love that, I think it's a good
message to send today."
The movie, which hits cinemas worldwide from Wednesday, has
split movie critics. It is expected to make more than $300
million at the global box office this weekend.
Asked about "Star Wars: Episode VIII" film which follows "The
Force Awakens", producer Kathleen Kennedy said: "It's doing
great ... We're chugging along in the cutting room."
That movie is due for release in December 2017.
(Reporting by Francis Maguire and Marie-Louise Gumuchian;
Editing by Andrew Hay)
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