Epic films have large scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The term is slightly ambiguous, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply big-budget films. Like epics in the classical literary sense, it is often focused on a heroic character. An epic's ambitious nature helps to set it apart from other genres such as the period piece or adventure film .
120-686: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards . The screenplay was written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy inspired by a story idea from John Knoll and developed by Gary Whitta . The film was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series , and an immediate prequel to Star Wars (1977). The main cast consists of Felicity Jones , Diego Luna , Ben Mendelsohn , Donnie Yen , Mads Mikkelsen , Alan Tudyk , Riz Ahmed , Jiang Wen , and Forest Whitaker . Set
240-489: A "a spirited but agonizingly safe attempt to ... to keep the wheels greased between proper installments". He lauded the opening scene and final act, saying the latter reminded him of Star Wars "as we remembered it", and praised the set design and visuals as "gorgeous." He also enjoyed how the film reconciled narrative elements between the original and newer Star Wars films, but felt the lack of interesting character development and requirement to adhere to pre-existing narratives
360-468: A bright blockbuster future for the franchise." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score 65 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported film goers gave the film a 91% overall positive score. IGN reviewer Eric Goldman gave the film 9 out of 10, describing Rogue One 's storytelling being related to
480-575: A certain Freedon Nadd came in 4,400 BC, found the temple and became Naga Sadow's apprentice. Exar Kun later arrived at Yavin 4. There, he kills Naga Sadow once and for all, then enslaves the Massassis, having them build enormous temples, focal points of great power. He gradually gained strength by absorbing the energy of Massassi children in particular. At the same time, he carried out genetic experiments to create fighting animals. Unable to repel
600-453: A half weeks to compose the music for the film, beginning almost immediately after finishing scoring Doctor Strange . In addition to composing original themes, Giacchino incorporated some of John Williams' themes from previous films into the score. The official soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on December 16, 2016. An extended version of the soundtrack was released on February 11, 2022, which includes additional demos composed for
720-466: A historical or a mythical event and add an extravagant setting, lavish costumes, an expansive musical score , and an ensemble cast , which would make them extremely expensive to produce. The most common subjects of epic films are royalty and important figures from various periods in world history. The term "epic" originally came from the poetic genre exemplified by such works as the Epic of Gilgamesh and
840-520: A live environment. Others combine matte painting and live-action shooting. They were made at a Royal Air Force base in Bedfordshire , England . Actor Oscar Isaac , who plays Poe Dameron in the third trilogy , was born in Guatemala , where Yavin 4 was filmed. He asked that the character he plays be from Yavin 4 so that he would feel closer to him. The satellite was therefore chosen as
960-572: A massive scale. Biographical films may be less lavish versions of this genre. They often have a Roadshow theatrical release and are often shot on 70 mm film . Many writers may refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, making the definition epic a matter of dispute, and raise questions as to whether it is a "genre" at all. As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on Lawrence of Arabia : The word epic in recent years has become synonymous with big-budget B picture . What you realize watching Lawrence of Arabia
1080-591: A medal. Firstly, some fans believe that this means that the Rebel Alliance considers humans, including Han and Luke, to be superior to other species. Some fans speculate that since Chewbacca has been secretly working for the Rebels since Revenge of the Sith , there is no need to give him a medal. Others, from outside the saga universe, think that the film crew simply forgot. However, George Lucas claims that for
1200-434: A member of Blue Squadron. Jordan Stephens appears as Rebel Alliance member Corporal Tonc. Nick Kellington plays Bistan, a door gunner on a U-wing during the battle on Scarif. Ian Whyte plays Moroff, a member of Saw Gerrera's Partisans. Daniel Mays appears as Tivik. Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman , director and producer of Star Wars: The Last Jedi , respectively, cameo as two Death Star technicians. In 2003, during
1320-536: A new official poster was unveiled, which depicts a battle taking place on the tropical planet Scarif, with the Death Star looming large in a blue sky, above which is printed the tagline "A Rebellion Built on Hope". A second teaser trailer was screened exclusively at the event, and it was reviewed favorably by critics; The Daily Telegraph noted that the trailer revealed new locations such as the planets Jedha and Scarif, and that its most significant revelation came in
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#17327722192601440-511: A planet but a satellite, it is also part of the collection under number 9677 "X-wing Starfighter & Yavin 4 ". It is sold with an X-Wing and its pilot. In addition, figurines of the characters in their Yavin appearance were put on sale. From 1 November 2021, Funko marketed the Pop figure under number 459 "Princess Leia (Yavin Ceremony)" Note 5. It depicts Leia Organa holding a medal, which in
1560-488: A pretext to take control of the Death Star. Bodhi leads the group to Galen's Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu , where Cassian hesitates to kill Galen. Rebel bombers then attack the facility. Galen is wounded and dies in Jyn's arms before she escapes with her group on a stolen Imperial cargo shuttle. Krennic is summoned by Darth Vader to answer for the attack on Jedha City. Krennic seeks his support for an audience with
1680-670: A protective father figure. Vanity Fair also commented on the emphasis given to Jyn's relationship with her father, suggesting that Rogue One was drawing on "the Star Wars franchise's greatest natural resource: daddy issues." The film's publicity tour began in Mexico on November 23, 2016. In Asia, Disney focused marketing efforts on Donnie Yen , with his individual poster being used for marketing in territories including Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong , China, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The official Star Wars Facebook page of
1800-569: A revenue of $ 81.1 million with nearly 4 million units sold, making it the third best-selling title of 2017 behind Moana and Beauty and the Beast . It was also released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on March 31, 2020, whilst also being reissued on Blu-ray and DVD. To promote the release of Andor , Disney re-released Rogue One into over 150 IMAX theaters across the United States and Canada on August 26, 2022, featuring an exclusive preview of
1920-489: A vocal cameo. Ian McElhinney , Michael Smiley , Andy de la Tour , and Tim Beckmann play General Jan Dodonna , Dr. Evazan , General Hurst Romodi, and Captain Raymus Antilles , respectively. Warwick Davis plays Weeteef Cyubee, a member of Saw Gerrera's Partisans. Dave Filoni reprises his role as C1-10P from Star Wars Rebels . Stephen Stanton voices Admiral Raddus , while Paul Kasey appears in costume as
2040-670: A week before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, the plot follows a group of rebels who band together to steal plans of the Death Star , the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire . It details the Rebel Alliance 's first effective victory against the Empire, first referenced in Star Wars ' opening crawl . Omitting the customary opening crawl and transitional screen wipes from the traditional Star Wars films,
2160-811: Is one of the most expensive films ever made . Rogue One premiered in Los Angeles on December 10, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 16. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its acting, story, visuals, musical score, cinematography, and the darker and more serious tone compared to previous Star Wars films, but criticism for its pacing, characters, and digital recreations of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia . It grossed over $ 1 billion worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as second-highest-grossing film of 2016 . It received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects . A prequel television series, titled Andor , premiered on
2280-519: Is Yavin 4. The land above Yavin 4 is covered by forest, marshes and jungle . Pyramidal temples built by the Massassis stand within this environment. The largest of these, the Great Temple, became the main base of the Rebel Alliance . This natural satellite is covered by oceans over a third of its surface. The remaining two-thirds are shared between four continents. On Yavin 4, there
2400-464: Is captured by the Rebel Alliance 31. The appearance of Yavin 4 is one of the elements that link this episode to the first Star Wars . In this film, the introductory scene is similar to that of the first scene on Yavin 4, in A New Hope. A Rebel soldier standing sentry watches a fighter in the sky. Scenes from Rogue One taking place on Yavin 4 were shot on a set approximately 107 metres (351 ft) long and 61 metres (200 ft) wide, rather than in
2520-480: Is covertly ordered to aid Jyn but to kill Galen rather than extract him. Jyn, Cassian, and reprogrammed former Imperial droid K-2SO travel to Jedha, where the Empire loots kyber crystals to power the Death Star. In Jedha City, Saw and his partisans are engaged in an armed insurgency against the Empire and Jyn and Cassian get caught in the crossfire. Aided by blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe and his mercenary friend Baze Malbus , Jyn makes contact with Saw, who
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#17327722192602640-455: Is holding Bodhi. Saw shows her the message in which Galen reveals he has secretly built a vulnerability into the Death Star. The schematics are located in an Imperial data vault on the planet Scarif . Onboard the Death Star, Krennic orders a test fire, which destroys Jedha City. Jyn and her group take Bodhi and flee the moon, but Saw remains there to die. Imperial governor Grand Moff Tarkin congratulates Krennic before using Bodhi's defection as
2760-476: Is no continental drift . The tectonic plates do not move in relation to each other. No ocean is isolated from the others. There are mountain ranges and volcanoes on this moon. These volcanoes are at the origin of a dynamic that allows the creation of very fast-flowing rivers. The planet has a high level of bio-diversity. Massassis trees, with their purple bark, surrounded by climbing ferns, pomegranate mushrooms and bio-luminescent orchids, are an important part of
2880-506: Is shot and wounded by Cassian. Jyn transmits the schematics to the Rebel command ship moments before the Death Star arrives above Scarif, commanded by Tarkin. He orders the Death Star to destroy the citadel, killing everyone, including Krennic, Cassian, and Jyn. The Rebel fleet prepares to jump to hyperspace , but many ships are intercepted by Darth Vader's Star Destroyer. Vader boards the Rebel command ship and kills many troops trying to regain
3000-485: Is that the word epic refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God didn't cost as much as the catering in Pearl Harbor , but it is an epic, and Pearl Harbor is not. The epic is among the oldest of film genres, with one early notable example being Giovanni Pastrone 's Cabiria , a two-and-a-half hour silent film about
3120-459: Is the only one to appear in Rogue One and the only one, along with Mos Eisley , to come from A New Hope . Yavin 4 also features in the 2020 Star Wars: Squadrons game. It is one of the locations in which the player can take part in a battle aboard a fighter. In 2012, Lego produced spherical figurines of a number of Star Wars planets, separable into two hemispheres. Although Yavin 4 is not
3240-405: Is used for Leia's dialogue. 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, while new dialogue for the deceased Henley was assembled from archival material. David Ankrum, who voiced Wedge Antilles in A New Hope , reprises his role in
3360-614: The Millennium Falcon with the smuggler Han Solo . The Death Star pursues the ship to the Yavin system. While the Imperial ships are on their way, General Dodonna prepares the defence of the Rebel Alliance . The Rebels launch several squadrons of fighters in the hope of taking advantage of a weakness in the Death Star's design to destroy it. The torpedo sent by a new recruit to the "Red" squadron, Luke Skywalker , destroyed
3480-636: The Rebels TV series, video games and comic books . It is also mentioned in the novelizations of the films in which it appears, and in other novels. The Star Wars universe is set in a galaxy that is the scene of clashes between the Jedi Knights and the Dark Lords of the Sith , characters who are sensitive to the Force , a mysterious energy field that gives them psychic powers. The Jedi master
3600-544: The Death Star and two starships. Among the qualities of the natural satellite, the site mainly mentions the medal ceremony room and the outward appearance of the Rebel base. However, it points out that the film does not dwell much on this important location. The duel between Asajj Ventress and Anakin Skywalker on Yavin 4 in particular is one of the most popular moments in the Clone Wars animated series, mainly for
3720-415: The Death Star , as opposed to the verdant Yavin 4. The lush jungle of this planet contrasts with the artificial, black and white habitat of evil 49. Like several other Star Wars stars, Yavin 4 has been studied using a scientific approach to determine whether the concept seems realistic enough. First of all, the gas giant of the natural satellite in question would have to be well placed in its system, within
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3840-531: The Emperor , but Vader instead force-chokes him and orders him to ensure no further problems occur. Jyn proposes a mission to steal the Death Star schematics, but the Alliance Council feels there is no chance of victory. Frustrated at their inaction, Jyn's group leads a small squad of volunteers, which Bodhi dubs "Rogue One," to raid the vault. Using the stolen Imperial shuttle, they gain access through
3960-564: The Punic Wars , which laid the groundwork for the subsequent silent epics of D. W. Griffith . The genre reached a peak of popularity in the early 1960s, when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's Cinecittà ) to use relatively exotic locations in Spain, Morocco and elsewhere for the production of epic films such as El Cid (1961) or Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The genre soon spread to other regions of
4080-463: The Red Squadron from A New Hope ; "the 'rogue' one" of the franchise, given it is the first film to not be part of the main saga; and a description of Jyn Erso's personality. In January 2015, The Hollywood Reporter stated numerous actresses, including Tatiana Maslany , Rooney Mara , and Felicity Jones were being assessed for the film's lead. In February 2015, it was announced that Jones
4200-685: The Sith Lord Darth Vader during the battle. Leia Organa presented them with a medal at Yavin 4, during a ceremony to celebrate this military victory. After retiring, pilot Shara Bey and sergeant Kes Dameron, two former rebels, settled on Yavin 4 to live. There they planted a fragment of a Force-sensitive tree given to them by Luke Skywalker. Following the takeover of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company , all elements narrated in derivative products dating prior to 26 April 2014 were declared to be outside of canon and were then grouped together as " Star Wars Legends ". Around 5000 BC,
4320-564: The Sith and its appearance due to the temples used as starship hangars by the rebels. The Comic Book Resources website ranked Yavin 4 fourth, behind Naboo , Bespin and the forest moon of Endor . It emphasises its perfect topography but points out that it lacks natural mineral resources. In its ranking of the best locations in A New Hope , the Screen Rant website puts Yavin 4 in tenth place, ahead of five locations on Tatooine , two on
4440-587: The "epic" film, encompassing such examples as Ben-Hur , Gone with the Wind and more recently, 300 and the Star Wars films [...] none of these comes from literary epics per se , and there is little that links them with one another. Among those who espouse film genre studies, epic is one of the most despised and ignored genres". Finally, although the American Movie Channel formally defines epic films as historical films, they nonetheless state
4560-506: The CGI landscape shots seen in the footage as "eye-poppingly gorgeous." A further trailer released in October 2016 prompted The Hollywood Reporter to comment that the newly revealed footage looked like "a trailer to a different movie than the one advertised earlier," remarking that Jyn Erso appeared to be portrayed as a more vulnerable character, and highlighting the appearance of Galen Erso as
4680-620: The Disney+ series ahead of its three-episode premiere on September 21, 2022. Rogue One grossed $ 534.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $ 523.9 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $ 1.059 billion. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $ 319.6 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participation, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it third on their list of 2016's "Most Valuable Blockbusters". In late November 2016, box office projections for
4800-526: The Empire, taking a holographic message from Galen to Saw on the moon Jedha . Rebel Alliance intelligence officer Cassian Andor learns of the Death Star and Bodhi's defection from an informant. Jyn is freed from an Imperial labor camp on Wobani and is brought to the Rebels' base on Yavin IV , where Rebel leader Mon Mothma convinces her to find Galen so the Alliance can learn more about the superweapon. Cassian
4920-688: The Erso homestead on Lah'mu and the Imperial research facility on Eadu respectively. Also used as filming locations were the Krafla area with its volcanic crater and around Lake Mývatn 's rock formations. The islands of Gan and Baresdhoo of the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives, as well as the former RAF Bovingdon airfield, were used to represent Scarif. Wadi Rum in Jordan and the fortification of Masada
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5040-736: The Jedi's victory over him, he found a way to survive for several millennia by transferring his spirit to a temple in the natural satellite. Much later, during the Clone Wars, the Jedi Anakin Skywalker confronts the separatist Asajj Ventress. Their duel takes place in the Great Massassian Temple. During the battle, Anakin seems to move particularly close to the Dark Side, in the run-up to his total overthrow in
5160-681: The Light Side of the Force, a beneficial and defensive power, to maintain peace in the galaxy. The Sith use the Dark Side, a harmful and destructive power, for their own purposes and to dominate the galaxy. The Yavin system is located in the Gordian Expanse sector of the Outer Rim. The star of this system is also called Yavin, as is the third and final planet from the centre. This planet, a gas giant, has 26 natural satellites. The fourth
5280-630: The Massassis species were living on Yavin 4 when the Sith Lord Naga Sadow fled Korriban after losing the Great Hyperspace War. Naga Sadow left his mark on Yavin 4 with his temples. The Massassis built the Great Temple in homage to Naga Sadow, despite the persecution he suffered 20. Faced with his defeat at the hands of the Jedi , Naga Sadow partially resisted death by plunging into a century-long sleep on Yavin 4. Finally,
5400-405: The Rebel fleet, and Baze is killed shortly afterward. Bodhi is killed by a grenade after informing the Rebel fleet that it must deactivate the planetary shield to allow the transmission of the plans. Rebel Admiral Raddus uses a Rebel ship to crash two Imperial Star Destroyers into each other; the wreckage destroys the shield generator. Jyn obtains the schematics but is ambushed by Krennic, who
5520-498: The Rebels had to retrieve the Death Star plans from Scarif, several Rebel leaders, including General Syndulla, were called away from Yavin 4. The Tantive IV , with Princess Leia Organa aboard, leaves Yavin 4 to witness the battle. Captured by the Empire , Leia Organa refused to divulge the location of the Rebel base. To gain time, she gave the location of an abandoned site on the planet Dantooine . She then managed to escape aboard
5640-535: The Resistance, heir to the Rebel Alliance, set up its command base there. A scene set on Yavin 4 in particular continues to leave its mark on fans of the saga and the specialist press several decades after its presence in A New Hope : The Last, with the medal ceremony. Indeed, of the three heroes of the battle present at the time, only two were awarded medals, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker . Fans are looking for several explanations as to why Chewbacca doesn't get
5760-494: The United States and Canada had the film grossing $ 100–150 million during its opening weekend. Disney chairman Bob Iger noted that Disney and Lucasfilm did not expect Rogue One to match The Force Awakens ' total gross of $ 2.1 billion, nor its $ 248 million opening. Pre-sale tickets for the film went on sale at 12:01 am EST on November 28, 2016. Within 10 minutes, ticket sale sites such as Fandango crashed, much like they had in advance of The Force Awakens
5880-592: The Wind is the highest-grossing film ever, with two other romantic epics ( Titanic and Doctor Zhivago ) also featuring among the global top ten. So far the most Academy Awards ever won by a single film stands at eleven. This feat has only been achieved by three films: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), all of which are above three hours long and considered epic films. The previous record holder
6000-524: The Wookiees, Chewbacca's species, a medal is not of symbolic importance and that Chewbacca has already been honoured by a Wookiee ceremony, after the Battle of Yavin. Peter Mayhew , Chewbacca's actor, offers a more pragmatic explanation. According to him, the production of A New Hope lacked the money to make this first film and had to make savings on certain elements. For example, buying a third medal for
6120-417: The alien character on-screen. Duncan Pow plays Ruescott Melshi , a sergeant in the Rebel Alliance. Additionally, Alistair Petrie plays General Davits Draven, Ben Daniels plays General Antoc Merrick, and Valene Kane plays Lyra Erso, Jyn's mother. Jonathan Aris , Fares Fares , and Sharon Duncan-Brewster appear as Senators Nower Jebel, Vasp Vaspar, and Tynnra Pamlo, respectively. Simon Farnaby plays
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#17327722192606240-649: The ancient Mayan city of Tikal , in Guatemala. Two years after filming, the site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The idea of using these ruins as a film location came to George Lucas when, in England , he noticed the pre-Columbian site on a travel agency poster. Yavin 4 and the Rebel base appeared again in Rogue One , the first film in the Star Wars Story spin-off series . Jyn Erso
6360-532: The basis of their enormous scope and the sweeping panorama of their settings such as How the West Was Won or East of Eden that do not have the typical substance of classical epics but are directed in an epic style. When described as "epic" because of content, an epic movie is often set during a time of war or other societal crisis, while usually covering a longer span of time sometimes throughout entire generations coming and passing away, in terms of both
6480-423: The battle station, giving the Alliance a major victory over the Empire. Shortly after celebrating this victory with a ceremony, the Rebels abandoned Yavin 4, fearing a counter-attack. Once the Death Star is destroyed, two Rebels in particular are rewarded for their significant part in the battle. They were Luke Skywalker, who shot the rift that allowed the battle station to explode, and Han Solo, who saved it from
6600-487: The birthplace of Poe Dameron in the Star Wars universe. This information was revealed even before the release of the film The Force Awakens, in which Poe appears for the first time. Yavin 4 appears in Star Wars: The Old Republic , released in 2011. The planet is home to Sith spirits such as Naga Sadow . In 2017, Star Wars: Battlefront II has 11 different playgrounds, including Yavin 4. It
6720-408: The depiction of the Death Star. He also offered general praise for cast performances, including that of Mikkelsen, Mendelsohn, Jones, Tudyk, Yen, and Luna, but felt the film did not "go rogue at any stage" and considered it to be released during the cultural zeitgeist of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). In another 4 star review for The Guardian , Mark Kermode further praised the cast, enjoying
6840-491: The diversity and positively compared Jynn's character to that of Ellen Ripley from the film Aliens (1986). He also praised the cinematography of the battle scenes, which he described as being evocative of the Normandy landings and Vietnam War , and felt the standalone nature of the film allowed it to raise the dramatic stakes during the third act. In a more critical review, The Washington Post ' s Ann Hornaday regarded
6960-502: The ending. In August, Gilroy was given screenplay credit alongside Weitz and was paid $ 5 million for his work on the film. Additionally, Christopher McQuarrie , Scott Z. Burns , and Michael Arndt all contributed to the script at various stages in development. In July 2016, discussing whether the film would feature an opening crawl , Kathleen Kennedy said, "we're in the midst of talking about it, but I don't think these [anthology] films will have an opening crawl." Edwards explained that
7080-424: The ensemble cast from criticism by contending it highlighted the film's anti-fascist themes. Chang also speculated that the film had faster pacing due to wanting to avoid criticisms of slow pacing from the prequel trilogy. Peter Bradshaw , a film critic of The Guardian giving a 4 star rating , enjoyed the film for providing "muscular and adroit "variations on familiar Star Wars elements and themes in addition to
7200-449: The epic film may be combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite Star Wars as an example. Stylistically, films classed as epic usually employ spectacular settings and specially designed costumes, often accompanied by a sweeping musical score, and an ensemble cast of bankable stars . Epics are usually among the most expensive of films to produce. They often use on-location filming, authentic period costumes , and action scenes on
7320-426: The epic is often credited to their ability to appeal to a wide audience. Several of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics. James Cameron 's 1997 film Titanic , which is cited as helping to revive the genre, grossed $ 1.8 billion at cinemas worldwide to become the highest-grossing film—a record it held for twelve years. If inflation is taken into account, then the historical romantic epic Gone with
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#17327722192607440-402: The events depicted and the running time of the film. Such films usually have a historical setting, although speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ) settings have become common in recent decades. The central conflict of the film is usually seen as having far-reaching effects, often changing the course of history. The main characters' actions are often central to the resolution of
7560-417: The film and that Gary Whitta would write the script. In October of the same year, cinematographer Greig Fraser revealed that he was hired to work on the film. In January 2015, it was revealed that Whitta had completed his work on the script, and would no longer be involved with the project. Simon Kinberg was considered as a replacement. Later that month, it was announced Chris Weitz had signed to continue
7680-554: The film as being reminiscent of the original trilogy, and enjoyed Edward's direction and the pacing. He especially enjoyed Jones' performance and the action sequences in the third act, although he felt the film's exposition slightly undermined character interactions. Travers went on to give the film 4 stars. /Film rated Rogue One an 8 out of 10, with writer Peter Sciretta enjoying the darker tone, action sequences, Giacchino's score, and felt it retroactively improved Star Wars by providing additional context and backstory. Sciretta wished
7800-451: The film as being simplistic and a "placeholder", comparing its imagery to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Arrival (2016). She positively regarded the visual aesthetic, Giacchino's score, and darker tone, but thought the plot was unoriginal and lacked the tone of previous Star Wars films. That said, she regarded the film as superior to the prequel trilogy. Similarly, giving a C+ grade, IndieWire 's David Ehrlich similarly regarded it as
7920-560: The film at $ 200 million. After the film was released, according to reports based on tax filling in the United Kingdom, the film had spent an estimated total of $ 280.2 million and was eligible for UK film production tax breaks which brought the final net cost down to $ 232.4 million. On February 11, 2016, Disney executives stated the film was "virtually completed." Several weeks of pre-scheduled reshoots began in June 2016. Tony Gilroy, who
8040-554: The film began at Pinewood Studios , Buckinghamshire , on August 8, 2015, where huge sets were built to complement scenes that were to be filmed elsewhere in the world. The movie was shot using Ultra Panavision 70 lenses with Arri Alexa 65 large format digital 6K cameras. Filming also took place in various locations around the world. In Iceland, the crew shot in Reynisfjara, and around the mountains of Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey at Mýrdalssandur , which were used to represent
8160-561: The film focused on further characterization, which he felt was neglected due to the ensemble cast and runtime. Justin Chang , writing for the Los Angeles Times , praised Fraser's cinematography and also enjoyed the action sequences, feeling its storytelling would "immediately ascend to classic status" and justified its existence. He particularly emphasized the cast, and commended the performances of Yen, Luna, and Jones; he defended
8280-701: The film score, and cues that were not included in the album, or being un-edited. A vinyl edition was further released by Mondo in March 2022. Promotion of Rogue One was initially delayed by the release of the film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation in July 2015, because the titles were deemed too similar. Paramount Pictures registered and cleared the title with the Motion Picture Association of America in January 2015, well before Disney announced
8400-547: The film she gives to Luke Skywalker or Han Solo . A few months later, in the spring of 2022, Hasbro released a similar figure in its Black Series for Lucasfilm 's 50th anniversary under the name "Princess Leia Organa (Yavin 4)". This is Leia in ceremonial dress with the film's medal. Yavin 4 regularly appears in the Star Wars saga star charts. The Vulture website puts it in tenth place. It explains that this natural satellite has two main qualities: its history linked to
8520-478: The film was "supposed to be different than the saga films," and that "This film is born out of a crawl. ... There's this feeling that if we did a crawl, then it'll create another movie." In November 2016, Kennedy confirmed the film would not feature an opening crawl, instead beginning in "a way that is traditional, with just the title." At the 2016 Star Wars Celebration , Edwards said that the film's title had three underlying meanings: "a military sign," referring to
8640-562: The film was intended to be different in tone and style and shot more like a war film. Principal photography on the film began at Pinewood Studios , Buckinghamshire , in early August 2015 and wrapped in February 2016. The film then went through extensive reshoots in mid-2016 . The film's score was composed by Michael Giacchino , rather than John Williams , who composed the score of all prior Skywalker Saga films up to that point. With an estimated production budget of $ 200–280.2 million, it
8760-779: The film were also included in the mobile games Star Wars: Force Arena , Star Wars Commander , and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes . Rogue One premiered at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on December 10, 2016. The film was released in certain European countries on December 14, 2016, in North America on December 16, and in China on January 6, 2017. Rogue One was released on Digital HD on March 24, 2017, and by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray , Blu-ray 3D , and DVD on April 4. The film made
8880-427: The film's possible narrative direction, considering that the outcome is to some extent already revealed in the opening crawl of A New Hope . The Atlantic writer David Sims stated that the trailer brought "back some memorable pieces of architecture, from the lumbering AT-AT walkers to the Death Star itself, not to mention the glorious 70s costuming of Star Wars ." He added that the trailer has "the look," blending
9000-429: The film's visual effects. ILM used CGI and digitally altered archive footage to insert Peter Cushing 's likeness over the body of actor Guy Henry . Lucasfilm secured permission from the late actor's estate to include him in the film. The team searched through archival footage of Cushing footage in order to find suitable reference material, and Henry provided the motion capture and voice work. A digital model of Cushing
9120-459: The film, including new game modes, a map based on the planet Scarif, and Jyn Erso and Orson Krennic as playable characters. A free virtual reality mission for PlayStation 4 was also released alongside the expansion. A free update for Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) was released in April 2020, adding a different Scarif map and other Rogue One -inspired content. Several characters and concepts from
9240-492: The film. Months after the film was released, Marvel Comics adapted the film into a six-part comic book miniseries, which adds extra content. In August 2017, IDW Publishing announced that it would make a one-shot graphic novel adaptation of the film, which was released one day after the Marvel miniseries' collection was released. Unlike the Marvel miniseries, this graphic novel will have slightly more cartoonish visuals. In
9360-441: The film. In May, Mendelsohn, Ahmed, and Diego Luna were added to the cast in lead roles of the film. Forest Whitaker was cast in June 2015. In July 2015, Jonathan Aris was chosen to play Senator Jebel. Genevieve O'Reilly was cast as Mon Mothma, reprising her role from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith . James Earl Jones was confirmed to return as the voice of Darth Vader in June 2016. Principal photography on
9480-696: The final moments of the Clone Wars. After the rise of the New Republic against the Galactic Empire , Luke Skywalker chose the moon as the place to found the New Jedi Order, and took Mara Jade with him. The planet was ravaged by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Vong invasion of the Galaxy. The Jedi Order moved to Ossus. Scenes from A New Hope set on Yavin 4 were filmed near the ruins of
9600-477: The final seconds of the teaser, with the appearance of Darth Vader, reflected in a computer screen and accompanied by his classic breathing sound effect. Variety also hailed the Vader reveal, and noted that the emphasis of the production was much more on the kinetic depiction of large battle sequences and full-on warfare, comparing it to Francis Ford Coppola 's 1979 Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now . A showreel
9720-399: The first film was superimposed over the face of Norwegian actress Ingvild Deila and archival audio of Fisher saying "hope" was used to voice the character. Post-production of the film wrapped on November 28, 2016. It does borrow from traditions that both John Williams and George Lucas borrowed from when they made the original Star Wars , you know. George was looking at Flash Gordon ,
9840-476: The local flora... Among the tree-dwelling animals, the most notable are woolamanders, frugivores, and stindaril rodents, carnivores that feed on golden muralbirds in particular. On land, there are runyips, herbivores, and swarms of piranha beetles. The marshes of this satellite are home to lizard crabs pursued by caparisoned eels. The waters are also home to aquatic gundarks, mucous salamanders, crystalline snakes and thyrsls. Finally, underground leviathan worms feed on
9960-416: The next day, securing a total of $ 155.1 million in its opening weekend, the third-biggest debut of 2016. It topped the box office once again in its second weekend, grossing $ 64 million (down 58.7%) over the three day weekend, and $ 96.1 million over the four day weekend. On Christmas Day, it grossed $ 25.9 million. It finished first at the box office again in its third weekend, grossing $ 49.6 million (−22.5%) over
10080-477: The old serials, and John was looking at Gustav Holst and different composers along the way to get a baseline for what he wanted to communicate. There is a wonderful musical language that John put together for the original films. I wanted to honor that vernacular but still do something new with it, something that was still me in a way. —Michael Giacchino, on balancing the musical traditions of Star Wars with his original music for Rogue One . In March 2015, it
10200-603: The old with the new. The trailer was viewed close to 30 million times in its first 29 hours, at a rate of 800,000 views per hour, from Facebook and YouTube, which is 200,000 views short of what the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was receiving in November 2014. In June 2016, Rogue One was promoted at the Star Wars Celebration Europe III event in London. During the event,
10320-438: The original version of the script. However, the producers opted for a more tragic ending and never filmed the original version. In May 2016, reports emerged the film would undergo five weeks of reshoots with Tony Gilroy writing additional scenes, as well as acting as a second-unit director under Edwards. With input from Edwards, Gilroy oversaw the edit and additional photography of the film which tackled several issues, including
10440-489: The planet's shield. Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO infiltrate the base while the others attack the Imperial garrison as a diversion. The Alliance learns of the raid from intercepted Imperial communications and deploys their fleet in support, leading to a space battle against the Imperial fleet. K-2SO sacrifices himself so Jyn and Cassian can retrieve the data. Chirrut is killed after activating the switch to allow communication with
10560-474: The plot and thematic content, which he believed to be underdeveloped. Meanwhile, Brody, who went on to call it "lobotomized and depersonalized," felt Edwards overlooked many aspects of Star Wars lore. Brody positively regarded Fraser's cinematography, and considered it his favorite element of the film, but was not affected by the death of major characters as he was not emotionally invested in their story. Epic film Epic historical films would usually take
10680-475: The plot of Star Wars (1977) as a "tricky gambit", but praised it for being clear and connected. He also enjoyed the visual aesthetic, which he opined helped establish its own identity, and praised the performances of Jones, Luna, and Tudyk. He disliked the film's connection to other Star Wars films, disliking the use of digital effects to recreate a character from the original trilogy, deeming it as " uncanny valley ." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone affirmed
10800-558: The production of Episode III in Sydney, John Knoll , the visual effects supervisor for all three prequels, pitched an episode for the unproduced series Star Wars: Underworld . At the time, he had written a short treatment called "Destroyer of Worlds". After the Disney acquisition he felt as though he had to pitch it again or forever wonder "what might've happened if I had." In May 2014, Disney announced that Gareth Edwards would direct
10920-399: The respective Asian countries also featured clips and videos of Donnie Yen speaking various languages, greeting fans and telling them to support the film. Disney also released various versions of international trailers with more footage of Yen. A tie-in novel to the film, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel , was released on November 15, 2016. Written by veteran Star Wars novelist James Luceno ,
11040-566: The roots of massive trees. During the Galactic Civil War, military leader Jan Dodonna founded a rebel cell on Yavin 4. He called it the Massassi Group, in reference to the intelligent species that inhabited the planet. This rebel group became one of the largest in the Galaxy, taking part in the battles of Scarif and Yavin . As a result, Yavin 4 is the main base of the Rebel Alliance . Galen Erso's daughter, Jyn ,
11160-545: The same month, Marvel Comics released the Star Wars: Rogue One – Cassian & K-2SO Special , a 40-page one-shot comic focusing on the first meeting between Cassian Andor and K-2SO. The comic was written by Duane Swierczynski and pencilled by Fernando Blanco. A downloadable expansion pack for Star Wars Battlefront (2015), titled Rogue One: Scarif , was released in December 2016, and added content based on
11280-532: The schematics, but a smaller ship escapes with the plans. Aboard the fleeing ship as it enters hyperspace, Princess Leia Organa declares that the schematics will provide hope for the Rebellion. Jimmy Smits , Genevieve O'Reilly , Anthony Daniels , and Jimmy Vee reprise their roles from previous films as Bail Organa , Mon Mothma , C-3PO , and R2-D2 , respectively; Vee is uncredited for his role. James Earl Jones also reprises his role from previous films as
11400-420: The script's development for the film. In March 2015, the title Rogue One was officially revealed. Edwards stated the style of the film would be similar to that of a war film , stating, "It's the reality of war. Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It's complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie." Assuming Disney would not allow a dark ending, Edwards had the main characters surviving in
11520-481: The shoot would have been too expensive. Finally, Chewbacca receives a medal, in the episode The Rise of Skywalker , from the hands of Maz Kanata . This scene seems to provide a conclusion to the Yavin 4 ceremony scene. The scene's symbolism can also be explained by the fact that, in Skywalker Ascending, after the deaths of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Chewbacca is the only survivor among
11640-474: The societal conflict. In its classification of films by genre, the American Film Institute limits the genre to historical films such as Ben-Hur . However, film scholars such as Constantine Santas are willing to extend the label to science-fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars . Lynn Ramey suggests that "Surely one of the hardest film genres to define is that of
11760-522: The story is set some years before the events of Rogue One , and provides a backstory to the 2016 film. The novelization of the film was written by Alexander Freed, and released on December 16, 2016. Months after the film was released, Lucasfilm Press published two further novels, titled Star Wars: Rebel Rising and Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills on May 2, 2017. Rebel Rising was written by Beth Revis , and explains what happened to Jyn Erso between
11880-473: The streaming service Disney+ on September 21, 2022. Research scientist Galen Erso and his family hide on the planet Lah'mu when Imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic arrives to press him into completing the Death Star , a superweapon capable of destroying planets. Galen's wife Lyra is killed in the confrontation while their daughter Jyn escapes and is rescued by rebel extremist Saw Gerrera . Fifteen years later, cargo pilot Bodhi Rook defects from
12000-459: The system's habitability zone . The diversity of ecosystems on Yavin 4 also seems more likely than a natural satellite covered entirely in forest like the forest moon of Endor , if only because the polar regions are colder than the tropical regions. The planet D'Qar in the third trilogy of the saga is sometimes seen as a replay of Yavin 4: these planets are covered in jungle and uninhabited due to their isolation from hyperspace routes. In addition,
12120-447: The three-day weekend and $ 65.5 million over the four-day weekend. In its fourth weekend, Sunday projections had the film grossing $ 22 million, besting newcomer Hidden Figures ' $ 21.8 million. However, final figures the following day revealed the film tallied a weekend total of $ 21.9 million, falling to second place behind Hidden Figures ' $ 22.8 million. The IMAX re-release of the film on August 26, 2022, made $ 1.1 million over
12240-424: The time her mother died and the day when Rebel agents freed her from an Imperial labor camp, a time period that the film skips over in its opening minutes. Guardians of the Whills was written by novelist and comic writer Greg Rucka , and focuses on the characters Chirrut and Baze, telling their backstories as well as giving more context to the events that happened on Jedha prior to the Imperial occupation depicted in
12360-493: The title of its forthcoming Star Wars spinoff. Disney and Lucasfilm had to reach an agreement with Paramount over promotion in order to avoid any confusion in the public mind. Disney agreed to embargo promotion on Rogue One until after mid-2015, with the exception of a very short teaser which was screened at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim that year. A teaser trailer for Rogue One , released by Lucasfilm on April 7, 2016,
12480-430: The visual effect. The choice of Yavin 4, a jungle world, as the base for the rebels, the heroes of A New Hope, can be explained by the fact that the worlds in the saga that are home to the characters from the side of good are wild, natural and verdant, such as the saga's other notable satellite, the forest moon of Endor , and the planets Naboo and Kashyyyk . The characters in the evil camp live in an artificial base,
12600-513: The voice of Darth Vader , who is physically portrayed by Spencer Wilding during the meeting with Krennic and aboard the Star Destroyer, and by Daniel Naprous at the end of the movie. 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. Henry also provides the voice for Tarkin, while archival audio of Fisher
12720-437: The weekend, bringing its running IMAX total to $ 105 million, 10th all-time. The film has received generally favourable reviews, praising its aesthetics and narrative. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 463 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, " Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground and suggesting
12840-551: The works of the Trojan War Cycle . In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a historical character, or a mythic heroic figure. Common subjects of epics are royalty , gladiators , great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history. However, there are some films described as "epic" almost solely on
12960-627: The world, such as India where it's flourishing Bollywood industry produced the landmark Mughal-E Azam (1960), which is widely considered as one of the greatest films of all time and a milestone in Asian epics. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Nevertheless, films in this genre continued to appear, with one notable example being War and Peace , which
13080-436: The year prior. In its first 24 hours, the film had the second-highest number of pre-sale tickets ever sold, behind only The Force Awakens . Worldwide, the film was expected to gross $ 280–350 million in its opening weekend. In the United States, the film made $ 29 million from its Thursday night previews, making it the highest-grossing Thursday opening of 2016. On Friday, the film grossed $ 71.1 million, and $ 46.3 million
13200-585: Was Gone with the Wind (1939), also an epic, with ten awards. Yavin IV Yavin 4 (or Yavin IV) is a natural satellite in the Star Wars fictional universe . Located in the Outer Rim, this moon orbits the gas giant Yavin . It appears mainly in the films Rogue One and A New Hope , for which the exterior scenes are mostly shot on the Guatemalan site of Tikal . Yavin 4 can also be seen in
13320-408: Was also shown during the event, which featured footage from the film, cut with behind-the-scenes shots and interviews with the director and cast members. The second trailer was shown publicly during a broadcast of the 2016 Summer Olympics and received positive responses; Wired stated that the trailer was "littered with nostalgic throwbacks to the original trilogy," while Rolling Stone described
13440-479: Was an uncredited writer on the film at the time, was hired to direct the reshoots and rework aspects of the film, earning him a screenwriting credit. In 2023, Edwards disputed the reports that he was sidelined during the reshoots, saying that he remained heavily involved during the reshoots and worked with Gilroy. The very last scene to be shot was Darth Vader attacking the Rebels. It was created by solely using digital tools. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) produced
13560-408: Was brought there by the Rebels. The leader of the Alliance, Mon Mothma , explains to her that her father developed a planet-destroying battle station, the Death Star , and that she is best placed to find her father, Galen, and the plans for this Imperial superweapon that the Rebels want to destroy. Cassian Andor , who is accompanying Jyn Erso, has been given a secret mission: to kill Galen. When
13680-403: Was in final talks to star in the film, while Aaron Paul and Édgar Ramírez were being eyed for the male lead role. In March 2015, Jones was officially cast as Jyn Erso. In March 2015, it was rumored that Ben Mendelsohn was being considered for a lead role. The next month, it was reported that Sam Claflin was being looked at for a unspecified role, while Riz Ahmed was in negotiations to join
13800-405: Was mapped over Henry's performance like a digital body mask. Cushing's mannerisms, including his manner of speaking, were studied by the creative team and applied to the digital Tarkin model. Cushing's estate was heavily involved with the creation and had input right down to "small, subtle adjustments." A similar process was used in the portrayal of Princess Leia; Carrie Fisher's appearance as Leia in
13920-406: Was praised by reviewers for its portrayal of strong female characters. The Daily Telegraph described Jyn Erso 's character as "a roguish, Han Solo -style heroine," calling the film "progressive," while noting its painstaking faithfulness to the production design style of the original Star Wars trilogy . The Hollywood Reporter also noted the visual nods to the original trilogy, and examined
14040-448: Was released in the former Soviet Union during 1967–1968. Epic films continue to be produced, although since the development of CGI they typically use computer effects instead of an actual cast of thousands. Since the 1950s, such films have regularly been shot with a wide aspect ratio for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience. Epic films were recognized in a montage at the 2006 Academy Awards . The enduring popularity of
14160-563: Was reported that Alexandre Desplat who had worked with Edwards on Godzilla (2014), would compose the score for Rogue One , and had confirmed it in an April 2016 interview. As the film's reshooting affected the post-production process, Desplat opted out from the project due to his commitments for scoring Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), and was replaced by Michael Giacchino in September 2016. Giacchino only had four and
14280-407: Was to its detriment. A. O. Scott and Richard Brody , writing for The New York Times and The New Yorker respectively, more heavily scrutinized the film and gave negative reviews. Both felt that it did not expand upon the Star Wars mythos, criticized the script, and considered the film to ultimately not justify its existence. Scott regarded the film as being "mediocre" and primarily critiqued
14400-545: Was used to represent Jedha. Pymmes Park in Edmonton, London was also used for location filming, and scenes set on Yavin 4 were filmed at Cardington Airfield . Gareth Edwards selected the London Underground 's Canary Wharf station as a location for a chase scene in an Imperial base; the location shoot took place overnight, when the station was closed to the public. Early reports put the production budget of
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