Major announcements and several clues about the new Star Wars stand-alone movies were made at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim today when Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, and Pablo Hidalgo were joined in a panel discussion by director Gareth Edwards and Industrial Light and Magic’s John Knoll.
Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the upcoming big screen adventures that explore the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga will be known as the Star Wars Anthology Series.
Up until now, details around the first entry in the Anthology Series, Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One, have been minimal. Edwards revealed that the film will revolve around a rogue band of resistance fighters who unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring new hope to the galaxy. “I couldn’t sit in a cinema and know that someone else made this film,” Edwards said in the panel. Fans were treated to concept art and a brief video that caused a packed house to erupt.
Several Rogue One crew members attached to the production include director of photography Greig Fraser (Foxcatcher, Zero Dark Thirty), special effects supervisor Neil Corbould (Gravity, Gladiator), casting director Jina Jay (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, War Horse), and sound designer Chris Scarabosio (There Will be Blood, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith).
Star Wars veterans transitioning from The Force Awakens to Rogue One include co-production designers Doug Chiang (Star Wars Episodes I & II) and Neil Lamont (supervising art director for the Harry Potter series, Edge of Tomorrow), stunt coordinator Rob Inch (World War Z, Captain America: The First Avenger), creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan (Prometheus) and co-costume designers Dave Crossman (costume supervisor for the Harry Potter series, Saving Private Ryan), and Glyn Dillon (costume concept artist for Kingsman: The Secret Service, Jupiter Ascending).
Rogue One hits theaters December 16, 2016.
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