We knew things would change once Disney got a hold of Star Wars, and as utterly delightful as The Force Awakens was, it was basically the equivalent of clearing the first hurdle in a long race. After all, Disney operates under the ‘keep doing it until everyone hates it’ business model, and the company has made it abundantly clear that fans will be getting new Star Wars movies until they stop turning a profit.
The thing is, that’s never been what Star Wars is. Despite its cultural saturation and expanded universe, the core has always been the six films in the Star Wars saga, which were released over 28 years. True, they technically hit theaters nine times thanks the Special Editions, but that still leaves long stretches of time where there was no Star Wars in theaters or on the horizon.
And so the question remains whether this crowded business model can be applied to Star Wars or if Disney will shoot themselves in the foot and fans in the heart. The Force Awakens did a lot to quell fears that Disney wouldn’t understand the appeal of the franchise, but Rogue One is our first look at their planned anthology series, the standalone films that will indicate if they plan to deliver quality and not just quantity.
In a move towards transparency, the first teaser for Rogue One is surprisingly robust, giving us back story on lead Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), thematic hints via Forest Whitaker’s voiceover, and long looks at the recreated era of the original trilogy.
That look is the easiest to break down, as it’s clear that director Gareth Edwards went the deferential route. Things look very similar to what we saw in the original trilogy, including everyone’s favorite GNK droid (which looks like a walking trash can) and a spot-on Mon Mothma. The only notable exceptions I saw was the very dexterous AT-ATs and lack of awesomely bad ‘70s hair.
As familiar as the environment looked, the theme and overall tone seems to be striking a new path for the canon universe. It’s darker and more morally ambiguous, if moral ambiguity ever really existed in this series. While different (and to me mildly alarming), I don’t begrudge anyone trying to make a more serious Star Wars film, but I also understand how difficult that task is.
Star Wars, from a narrative standpoint, was always a throwback to kitschy adventure serials. That structure will have to change if they go darker with Rogue One, which is fine, but they’ll still have that world to deal with. Good luck having a conversation about the moral implications of war with a trash can walking behind you.
I jest, but this very tone problem proved a pain point for the prequel trilogy. Mixing a silly environment with serious ideas has been done well before (2004’s Battlestar Galactica), so success is certainly not out of the question, but the shaky track record of Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and screenwriter Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass, 2015’s Cinderella) doesn’t instill confidence.
Jyn is shaping up to be a thoroughly rebellious character, and if I’m inferring correctly, it looks like her arc will revolve around channeling those impulses towards a focused goal. The team around her, which took a definite backseat in this trailer, will likely be there to push her down whatever path they deem best. I’m already seeing apt comparisons between Jyn and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series, and as one of the few people who enjoyed how those films wrapped up, I wouldn’t mind another stroll down that gritty path.
As another entry in the Star Wars universe, Rogue One is shaping up to be a major step, and we’ll find out whether that step goes forwards or backwards in December. Looking at it from a larger film perspective, though, what’s most notable is that this new era of Star Wars is embracing the casual diversity so fine-tuned by the Fast & Furious series. If both continue to be box office juggernauts, then the idea that only white men sell movie tickets will become so blatantly laughable that even casual moviegoers will be in on the joke.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, and Jonathan Aris. It will be released in the U.S. and the U.K. on December 16th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.
On a scale from one to a gajillion, how excited are you for another Star Wars film?
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