Since the launch of The Force Awakens last year, not to mention the fact that Disney has staked out festive release dates for numerous films, the Christmas period has been synonymous with all things Star Wars, and that’ll continue later this year with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
As the first anthology movie to be released under Disney and Lucasfilm’s newfound arrangement, Gareth Edwards’ spinoff is shouldering a lot of hype and expectation ahead of its December release. But as the wait for Rogue One continues, USA Today has pumped out two new pics showcasing characters from both sides of the moral spectrum.
The first image sees Orson Krennic spearhead a small regiment of Death Troopers, and at least based on the film’s most recent trailer, this is likely pulled from early on in Rogue One when Krennic meets with Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen). On the topic of Ben Mendelsohn’s Imperial officer, Edwards shed some light on the character’s back story while chatting to USA Today: “It feels like if the Empire ever have a job vacancy, they go to the Royal Shakespeare Company to headhunt people. I like the idea that Ben’s character was much more working-class” and rose in the ranks “through sheer force of personality and ideas.” On the other hand, you’ll also see a new shot of Jyn Erso and former Imperial droid, K-2SO.
Look for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to touch down on December 16, when Gareth Edwards’ spinoff will reportedly run for 133 minutes (two hours and 13 minutes). Assuming that report is on point, that’s in and around the same length as last year’s The Force Awakens, though it’s impossible to tell whether this is a harbinger of quality or not.
