WARNING: If you want to know nothing about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, then do not watch the above video. But also, why did you click this if you didn’t? You’re weird.
I’ve been getting more and more excited for next month’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to premiere. In fact, I recently wrote about why we should all be more excited about it. I think it’s going to be a much-needed new tone and a further exploration of the goings-on in the Star Wars universe beyond strictly the drama with the Skywalker clan and direct contemporaries. This international trailer has made me even more excited (if possible) with new looks at action sequences, and a deeper look into Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and her backstory.
Unlike Rey in The Force Awakens, we know pretty much exactly what happened to Jyn Erso and why she was left orphaned on her home planet: her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), has been taken by the Empire for his engineering skills. In this version, we see him tell her he does things to protect her, then a woman—her mother?!?—gives her a kyber crystal on a necklace, which she still has as an adult, and tells her to trust the Force. The Death Star, as we probably knew already, is the main thrust of the Rebels’ mission in the movie, and a preliminary weapons test is the centerpiece. We get to see a bit of that destruction in the trailer, though it’s yet to be the full Alderaan-obliterating POW-AH Director Krennic talks about later.
The trailer also allows us to see a few more shots of Darth Vader, including him turning around slowly whilst holding what appears to be an invisible shaving cream can. (Seriously, why is his hand that way? Also, Vader, dude, posture.)
More than anything, every piece of Rogue One we’ve seen just looks visually stunning and surprisingly grown up, considering the very comedic and family-friendly take on the material in The Force Awakens. I truly cannot wait.
Let me know your theories about Jyn Erso’s story in the comments below!
Image: Lucasfilm
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
