December is coming up on us quickly.  One thing that will be happening in December is that Star Wars is back!  For this Science Fiction and Fantasy highlight I am going to highlight Star Wars: Rogue One.  Check out this trailer below:

For those of you who are not familiar with the Star Wars universe or with this movie, Rogue One is a stand alone movie and is not apart of the new trilogy that started with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  It takes place before the original trilogy (when Princess Leia had the Death Star plans), and after the prequel trilogy.  Rogue One focuses on a small group of rebel fighters trying to steal the Death Star plans from the empire.  Safe to say that this is a pivotal moment in the Star Wars universe and timeline.

Scene from the original classic trilogy.

Rogue One has got an excellent ensemble cast with some names like Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, James Earl Jones (as the iconic Darth Vader voice), and so many more.  The acting caliber alone has me very excited to see this.

Add in the spectacular special effects and epic fight scenes and I can’t wait for December.  Judging from the trailer, this looks like it will be much darker story with a sprinkling of witty humor that is a staple in Star Wars movies.  I think the idea of seeing the story of how the plans were stolen in the first place will be very interesting and a fresh new spinoff for the Star Wars universe.

And I love the cinematography seen in the trailer especially the first reveal of the Death Star.  It looks a little more gritty and dark and brings the action sequences to another level.  I hope the movie will have more to it than just beautiful cinematography and epic fight scenes (though I do love both).  Judging from the trailer, I think there will definitely be more to the story.

And one thing that I have always loved about the Star Wars movies is how this epic saga has brought people of all ethnicities, ages, nationalities, and religions together.  People from all over the world are excited to see this movie.  I have seen generations of people from all walks of life that love Star Wars.  And I think this movie really celebrates diversity even more.

And how can I forget to talk about the Japanese trailer for the movie. Check it out below:

From the international trailer, we get a little more information about the main character Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones).  We find out that the original message (about there being an Imperial major weapon’s test imminent) was sent by her father (played by Mads Mikkelsen).  This made me more intrigued with the main character.  I also liked the thematic element seen in the international trailer about the nature of war and how war can change people.

Rogue One will also not be the only stand alone film that will be coming out in the coming years.  It is rumored that both Han Solo and Boba Fett will get a stand alone movie.  Each stand alone will come out in between the movies that belong to the newest Star Wars trilogy which started with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. For the stand alone movies, only Han Solo has been confirmed.¹  Star Wars fans will not have to wait long for their Star Wars fix with both the newest trilogy movies and these stand alone movies.

Star Wars: Rogue One will hit the theaters come December 16 2016.

1.)https://www.cnet.com/news/disney-confirms-third-standalone-star-wars-movie-for-2020/