STAR WARS Rogue One Has Begun Production!!

STAR WARS Rogue One Team Assembles!

At D23 EXPO 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, Lucasfilm announced that production for the highly anticipated first film in the new standalone STAR WARS stories series, “Rogue One,” is under way. Directed by Gareth Edwards and produced Kathleen Kennedy, the film unites a group of resistance fighters to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star. The cast includes; Felicity Jones; Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Riz Ahmed. Take a look at the first official cast photo for “Rogue One” below as well as the official description for the film.

 “‘Rogue One’ takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for ‘Rogue One.’”

Star Wars: Rogue One..L to R: Actors Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen..Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley..?Lucasfilm 2016

Veteran ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, who shares a long history with the Star Wars movies originated the idea for the movie. Allison Shearmur, John Knoll, Simon Emanuel and Jason McGatlin are executive producers. Kiri Hart and John Swartz are co-producers.

To create the lived-in, realistic feel of “Rogue One,” Edwards chose Greig Fraser to be his director of photography and Neil Corbould to be his special effects supervisor.  Star Wars and Lucasfilm veteran Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont will be the production designers. Additional crew members will include stunt coordinator Rob Inch, creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan and co-costume designers Dave Crossman and Glyn Dillon.