New 'Rogue One' Trailer Hits July 15th

Photo via makingstarwars.net

In early April, the world got their very first look at the new Star Wars stand alone film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This film is set in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and follows the story of how the rebels stole the Death Star plans. The two minute trailer gave us some insight into our main character, Jyn Erso, who is believed to be the leader of this daring mission. A familiar face to many Star Wars fans was also shown and is believed to have a prominent role in the film, that being Mon Mothma, who is only seen in Return of the Jedi. Above all, the two things that the first trailer nailed was the look and tone of the film. Since this story takes place 34 years prior to The Force Awakens, it has to look that way. So, the old uniforms of the Rebellion were back, along with the original stormtrooper helmets and armor. Also, the tone did feel like a war film, and as director Gareth Edwards stated before, "its called Star Wars." This has the look of a more gritty film, and one that will probably be geared more towards adults than kids.

Now, with Star Wars Celebration London kicking off on July 15th, it should come as no surprise that a new trailer for the upcoming film will be released that day. What is driving this conversation, however, is one thing: will we see Darth Vader and how much? Around the time of the first teaser, there was no definite confirmation by Kathleen Kennedy that Vader was going to appear in the film, or have any significant role, but we have since learned that he will indeed be in the film and be voiced by the legend himself, James Earl Jones. It has been 33 years since we have seen Vader have an integral part in the films, so it is definitely going to be the highlight of the new trailer. If one had to speculate, however, the smart move for Lucasfilm would be to include one shot of Vader, along with one line of dialogue, and that's it. It is crucial to save him for the film because, if rumors are correct, his presence will be very impactful.

Reports are that the trailer will be around three minutes long, which is a fairly long runtime. Some fear that this may be too long, thus spoiling some parts of the movie. Yet, as fans, there is no doubt that the audience would want to see as much as possible. But, there could be a reason why this trailer is the length that it is. During the promotion of The Force Awakens, we were constantly getting snippets of new footage, whether they be international trailers or new TV spots, and they got into some dangerous territory by doing that. One thing Rogue One has to its advantage that The Force Awakens did not is a marketing tool that will succeed in filling theaters, albeit not as much as The Force Awakens, and that is Darth Vader. If the new trailer shows a glimpse of him, or includes the breathing, that will be enough to draw people into the theater because there is more weight to the character now. With the expansion of canon, Vader has been involved in new battles and has encountered new enemies in both the comics, novels and Star Wars Rebels. Also, since Rebels is taking place during this time period, there is a potential for a crossover in the upcoming season, or some references to the show in the film. So, for the fans who are keeping up with the new canon material will get to see both stories develop, and the casual fan will get to see Vader on the big screen.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is slated for release on December 16th and is directed by Gareth Edwards.