It seems that we have another opportunity to venture into a galaxy far, far away. Maybe this movie will answer questions we had about the original trilogy and connect us with the Force. Or maybe the Dec. 16 release of Disney and Lucasfilms’ “Rogue One” will simply be another attempt at milking the cash cow that is the Star Wars franchise.
A story that fills in the years between the prequels and the original trilogy, “Rogue One” chronicles the story of Jyn Erso and her band of Rebel fighters as they battle the fledgling Galactic Empire. Like other classic Star Wars films, the story revolves around a single hero and their group of quirky friends. And similar to “The Force Awakens,” this movie features a relatively multicultural cast and a female lead.
This diversity is commendable, and it’s not simply caused by Lucasfilms trying to keep up with the times. In fact, Star Wars films have a tradition of jump-starting actors’s careers, regardless of race or background. Prior to “A New Hope,” Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, Leia and Luke Skywalker respectively, were obscure performers. And before “The Force Awakens,” John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, Finn and Rey respectively, were also unknown before their performance in this movie. All of these actors are recognized for their contribution to the Star Wars legacy, and all have walked away from Star Wars films with successful careers in film, television and even voice acting.
If “Rogue One” garners success, it will translate into greater opportunities for its actors, on a scale incomparable to other films. And including obscure actors of color, in turn, creates characters that a greater swath of audience members can identify with, as well as paves a path to success for other actors of color. The only drawback to having these non-mainstream cast members is that they may lack experience and familiarity with the audience.
An exception to the general obscurity of the cast is the lead of “Rogue One,” Felicity Jones. Jones is well-known for her success in romantic films like “The Theory of Everything” and “Like Crazy,” so it’s not certain that she will do well in the totally different genre of epic space opera.
Moving onto a greater area of importance, nothing would be more valuable from this film than the lore that “Rogue One” has to offer. There is a broad gap, in plot, between the events of the original trilogy (Episodes IV – VI) and the prequel trilogy (Episodes I – III). For too long has this gap been left untouched by Lucasfilms, and our only chance to learn about this missing age is with “Rogue One.”
The creation of the “Star Wars Extended Universe” and “Star Wars Legends,” which were actions by Disney to control all development of the Star Wars story, is a possible explanation as to why the Star Wars lore has been hindered. The “Star Wars Extended Universe” includes all works directly created by Lucasfilms (the “Star Wars” movies, “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” TV shows) and is considered canon. All other works are classified as “Star Wars Legends” and are not considered canon.
Prior to the “Extended Universe,” a wealth of information was available to account for any time period of the Star Wars compendium. This information is now just empty speculation. It’s difficult to forgive Disney for doing such a thing, such a great disturbance in the Force, to erase history and sacrifice the loyalty of dedicated fans for their own corporate schemes.
It’s still unclear what Disney could write about for “Star Wars: Rogue One.” It makes the most sense to document the rise of the Empire and Rebel Alliance, thus setting the stage for the original trilogy. Such a movie would be a fitting origin story for the plethora of minor characters that we know and love.
Due to the movie’s unfamiliar cast and story, it’s reasonable to fear for the possibility of “Rogue One’s” failure. But the movie is led by veteran producers of the Star Wars franchise, like Kathleen Kennedy, who can be accredited with the success of “Force Awakens.” Given these fears, caution is the way of the Jedi and should be exercised, but a movie like “Rogue One” deserves optimism born out of loyalty to the franchise.
