Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or simply Rogue One, is a 2016 American epic space

opera film directed by Gareth Edwards from a script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy
based on a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Lucasfilm and
distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The first installment of the Star Wars
Anthology series, it is a standalone film set immediately before the original film, and
stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan
Tudyk, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. Rogue One follows a group of rebels on a
mission to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire's superweapon.

Based on an idea first pitched by Knoll ten years before it entered development, the film
was made to be different in tone and style from the traditional Star Wars films, including
omitting the conventional opening crawl. Principal photography on the film began at
Elstree Studios near London during early August 2015 and wrapped in February 2016.
The film went through extensive reshoots and additional filming in mid-June 2016, with
Gilroy joining for these. The film premiered in Los Angeles on December 10, 2016, and
was released in the United States on December 16, 2016.

Rogue One received generally positive reviews, with praise for its acting, action
sequences, musical score, and darker tone, although some criticism was directed at its use
of computer-generated imagery to recreate the likenesses of some actors. The film has
grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2016
and 21st overall unadjusted for inflation. It received two Academy Awards nominations
for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.[3]

Plot[edit]

Research scientist Galen Erso and his family are in hiding on the planet Lah'mu when
Imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic arrives to press him into completing the
Death Star, a space station-based superweapon capable of destroying an entire planet.
Galen's wife Lyra is killed in the confrontation while their daughter Jyn escapes and is
taken to safety by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera.

Fifteen years later, cargo pilot Bodhi Rook defects from the Empire, smuggling a
holographic message from Galen to Gerrera on the desert moon Jedha. Rebel intelligence
officer Cassian Andor frees Jyn from an Imperial labor camp at Wobani before bringing
her to the Rebel leaders, who convince her to find and rescue Galen so the Alliance can
learn more about the Death Star. Unbeknownst to Jyn, Cassian is covertly ordered by
General Draven, an Alliance military officer, to kill Galen rather than extract him.

Jyn, Cassian, and reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO travel to Jedha, where the Empire
is mining kyber crystals to power the Death Star while Gerrera and his partisans are
engaged in an armed insurgency against them. With the aid of blind spiritual warrior
Chirrut mwe and his mercenary friend Baze Malbus, Jyn makes contact with Gerrera,
who has been holding Rook captive. Gerrera shows her the message, in which Galen
reveals he has secretly built a vulnerability into the Death Star and directs them to
retrieve the schematics from a high-security Imperial data bank on the planet Scarif.

On the Death Star, Krennic orders a low-powered shot from the superlaser to destroy
Jedha's capital, causing Jyn and her group to take Rook and flee the planet, but Gerrera
chooses to remain and die with the city. Grand Moff Tarkin congratulates Krennic before
using Rook's defection and security leak as a pretext to take control of the project.

Rook leads the group to Galen's Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu, where
Cassian chooses not to kill Galen. When Krennic directs that Galen's main team be killed
for causing the security leak, Galen confesses that he is responsible, but the research team
is executed anyway. Jyn makes her presence known moments before Rebel bombers
attack the facility, resulting in Galen being wounded. Jyn reunites with her father, only to
have him die in her arms, before she escapes with her group on board a stolen Imperial
cargo shuttle. Krennic visits Darth Vader, seeking his support and an audience with the
Emperor, but Vader dismisses his appeal for recognition.

Jyn proposes a plan to steal the Death Star schematics using the Rebel fleet but fails to
get approval from the Alliance Council. Frustrated at their inaction, Jyn's group is
supported by a small squad of Rebel volunteers intent on raiding the databank
themselves. Arriving at Scarif via the stolen Imperial ship, which Rook dubs "Rogue
One", a disguised Jyn and Cassian enter the base with K-2SO while volunteers attack the
resident Imperial garrison as a distraction. The Rebel fleet learns about the raid from
intercepted Imperial communications and deploy in support. K-2SO sacrifices himself so
Jyn and Cassian can retrieve the data. mwe is killed after activating the master switch to
allow communication with the Rebel fleet. Rook is killed by a grenade just after
informing the Rebel fleet that it must deactivate the shield surrounding the planet to allow
the transmission of the schematics. Malbus dies in battle shortly after. Jyn and Cassian
seize the schematics, but they are ambushed by Krennic, who shoots Cassian.

Krennic corners Jyn, declaring the Empire's victory, but Cassian, who has survived,
shoots and wounds Krennic. Jyn transmits the schematics to the Rebel command ship.
The Death Star enters Scarif's orbit, where Tarkin uses the weapon to destroy the
Empire's base. Krennic dies in the resulting explosion, while Jyn and Cassian embrace on
a beach before dying in the ensuing shockwave.

The Rebel fleet prepares to jump to hyperspace but are intercepted by Vader's flagship.
Vader boards the command ship and kills several soldiers in his pursuit of the schematics,
but a small starship escapes with them on board. Aboard the fleeing ship, Princess Leia
declares that the schematics will provide hope for the Rebellion.

Cast[edit]

Main articles: List of Star Wars characters and List of Star Wars cast members

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, a young renegade woman who is detained by the Empire for
her crimes against them until freed by the Rebels.[4] She has used many aliases during
her life such as Lianna Hallik, Tanith Pontha, and Kestrel Dawn,[5] while her father
affectionately calls her "Stardust".

Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, a Rebel Alliance Captain and Intelligence officer.[6][7]

Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic, the Director of Advanced Weapons Research for the
Imperial Military.[6][8][9]

Donnie Yen as Chirrut mwe, a Zatoichi-esque blind warrior who believes in the Force.
He is said to be one of the Guardians of the Whills.[6][9][10]

Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso, Jyn's father and a research scientist.[9][11][12]

Alan Tudyk as K-2SO, a Rebel-owned Imperial enforcer droid who was reprogrammed
by Cassian Andor.[6][13][14][15]

Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook, a former Imperial cargo pilot who defects to the Rebels under
the influence of Galen.[16][17]

Jiang Wen as Baze Malbus, a Rebel warrior, mercenary and best friend of Chirrut mwe.
[6][9]

Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera, a veteran of the Clone Wars and a friend of the Erso
family who had mentored Jyn in her later childhood years.[9][18]

Jimmy Smits, Genevieve O'Reilly, and Anthony Daniels reprise their roles from previous
films as Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and C-3PO, respectively.[19][20][21]

James Earl Jones also reprises his role from previous films as the voice of Darth Vader,
[22] who is physically portrayed by Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous, replacing
David Prowse who played the role in the original films.[23][24][25] Grand Moff Tarkin
and Princess Leia Organa are played by Guy Henry and Ingvild Deila, respectively, with
the digital likenesses of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher superimposed.[26][27] Henry
also provides the voice for Tarkin, while archival audio of Fisher is used for Leia. Angus
MacInnes and Drewe Henley are featured as Gold Leader Dutch Vander and Red Leader
Garven Dreis, respectively, via unused footage from A New Hope; MacInnes returned to
record new dialogue for Vander and Henley's new dialogue was assembled from archival
material as Henley had died.[21][28][29][30]

David Ankrum, who voiced Wedge Antilles in A New Hope, reprises his role in a vocal
cameo.[29] Ian McElhinney, Michael Smiley, Andy de la Tour and Tim Beckmann play
General Jan Dodonna, Dr. Evazan, General Hurst Romodi and Raymus Antilles,
respectively.[21] Warwick Davis plays Weeteef Cyubee, a member of Saw Gerrera's
Partisans.[31]

Additionally, Alistair Petrie plays General Davits Draven,[7] Ben Daniels plays General
Antoc Merrick,[32] and Valene Kane plays Lyra Erso, Jyn's mother.[33] Jonathan Aris,
[34] Fares Fares[35][36] and Sharon Duncan-Brewster appear as Senators Nower Jebel,
Vasp Vaspar, and Tynnra Pamlo, respectively. Simon Farnaby plays a member of Blue
Squadron.[21] Jonathan Stephens appears as Rebel Alliance member Corporal Tonc.[21]
Nick Kellington plays Bistan, the door gunner on a U-wing during the battle on Scarif.
[37] Ian Whyte plays Moroff, a member of Saw Gerrera's Partisans.[38] Rian Johnson
and Ram Bergman, director and producer of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, respectively,
cameo as two Death Star technicians.[39] Richard Franklin plays one of the Death Star
engineers.[40]