History of Rogue One in Timeline
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 film and a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope. It tells the story of a group of rebels, led by Jyn Erso, who unite to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire's superweapon. The film details the Rebel Alliance's crucial first victory against the Empire, setting the stage for the original Star Wars trilogy. The diverse cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Ben Mendelsohn, among others. The story highlights the sacrifices made by the rebels in securing the Death Star plans, which are then used to find a weakness in the weapon and ultimately destroy it.
1979: Reference to Apocalypse Now
In June 2016, after a promotional event in London, Variety compared Rogue One to Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now, hailing that the emphasis of the production was much more on the kinetic depiction of large battle sequences and full-on warfare.
2003: John Knoll pitches 'Destroyer of Worlds'
In 2003, visual effects supervisor John Knoll pitched an episode called "Destroyer of Worlds" for the unproduced series Star Wars: Underworld during the production of Episode III.
May 2014: Gareth Edwards to Direct Rogue One, Gary Whitta to Write Script
In May 2014, Disney announced that Gareth Edwards would direct Rogue One, and Gary Whitta would write the script, beginning the film's official development.
November 2014: Reference to The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer
In November 2014, the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens received a higher view count in the first 29 hours compared to the Rogue One teaser trailer released in April 2016.
2014: Desplat and Edwards worked on Godzilla (2014)
In 2014, Alexandre Desplat and Gareth Edwards previously collaborated on the film Godzilla.
January 2015: Whitta Completes Script, Weitz Signs On
In January 2015, Gary Whitta completed his work on the script for Rogue One, and Chris Weitz signed on to continue the script's development, marking a transition in the writing team.
January 2015: Paramount Cleared Title
In January 2015, Paramount Pictures registered and cleared the title Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation with the Motion Picture Association of America, before Disney announced the title of its forthcoming Star Wars spinoff.
January 2015: Actresses Assessed for Lead Role
In January 2015, The Hollywood Reporter stated that numerous actresses, including Tatiana Maslany, Rooney Mara, and Felicity Jones, were being assessed for the lead role in Rogue One.
February 2015: Jones in Final Talks for Lead Role
In February 2015, it was announced that Felicity Jones was in final talks to star in Rogue One, while Aaron Paul and Édgar Ramírez were being considered for the male lead role.
March 2015: Jones Officially Cast as Jyn Erso
In March 2015, Felicity Jones was officially cast as Jyn Erso in Rogue One, solidifying the lead actress for the film.
March 2015: Desplat to Compose Score
In March 2015, it was reported that Alexandre Desplat would compose the score for Rogue One.
March 2015: Rogue One Title Officially Revealed
In March 2015, the title Rogue One was officially revealed, solidifying the film's branding and identity.
June 2015: Whitaker Cast in Rogue One
In June 2015, Forest Whitaker was cast in Rogue One, adding to the ensemble of lead roles in the film.
July 2015: Aris Chosen to Play Senator Jebel
In July 2015, Jonathan Aris was chosen to play Senator Jebel in Rogue One.
July 2015: Promotion Delayed by Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
In July 2015, promotion of Rogue One was initially delayed because the titles were deemed too similar to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, leading to an agreement between Disney and Paramount Pictures.
August 8, 2015: Start of Principal Photography at Pinewood Studios
On August 8, 2015, principal photography for Rogue One began at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. The movie was shot using Ultra Panavision 70 lenses with Arri Alexa 65 large format digital 6K cameras.
August 2015: Start of Principal Photography
In August 2015, Principal photography for Rogue One began at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. The film aimed for a tone and style different from traditional Star Wars films, resembling a war film.
February 11, 2016: Disney Executives State Film is Virtually Completed
On February 11, 2016, Disney executives stated that Rogue One was "virtually completed," marking a significant milestone in the film's production process.
February 2016: Wrapping of Principal Photography
In February 2016, principal photography for Rogue One wrapped up. Subsequently, the film underwent extensive reshoots in mid-2016.
April 7, 2016: Teaser Trailer Release
On April 7, 2016, Lucasfilm released a teaser trailer for Rogue One, which was praised for its portrayal of strong female characters and faithfulness to the production design style of the original Star Wars trilogy. It garnered close to 30 million views in its first 29 hours.
April 2016: Desplat Confirmed to Compose Score
In April 2016, Alexandre Desplat confirmed that he would compose the score for Rogue One, solidifying his involvement in the film's music production.
May 2016: Reports Emerge of Reshoots
In May 2016, reports surfaced that Rogue One would undergo five weeks of reshoots, with Tony Gilroy writing additional scenes and acting as a second-unit director under Edwards to address several issues, including the ending.
June 2016: Promotion at Star Wars Celebration Europe III
In June 2016, Rogue One was promoted at the Star Wars Celebration Europe III event in London, where a new official poster was unveiled and a second teaser trailer was screened, revealing new locations and the appearance of Darth Vader. The trailer was positively received for its kinetic depiction of large battle sequences.
June 2016: James Earl Jones Confirmed as Darth Vader's Voice
In June 2016, it was confirmed that James Earl Jones would return as the voice of Darth Vader in Rogue One, ensuring continuity with the original Star Wars films.
June 2016: Pre-Scheduled Reshoots Begin
In June 2016, pre-scheduled reshoots for Rogue One began, with Tony Gilroy hired to direct the reshoots and rework aspects of the film, earning him a screenwriting credit.
July 2016: Discussion about Opening Crawl
In July 2016, Kathleen Kennedy discussed whether Rogue One would feature an opening crawl, hinting that the anthology films might not follow that tradition.
September 2016: Giacchino Replaces Desplat
In September 2016, Michael Giacchino replaced Alexandre Desplat as the composer for Rogue One due to Desplat's commitments to scoring Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
October 2016: Further Trailer Released
In October 2016, a further trailer released for Rogue One prompted commentary on the portrayal of Jyn Erso as a more vulnerable character and the emphasis on her relationship with her father, Galen Erso.
November 15, 2016: Release of Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
On November 15, 2016, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, written by James Luceno, was released. The story is set years before the events of Rogue One and provides a backstory to the film.
November 2016: Confirmation of No Opening Crawl
In November 2016, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Rogue One would not feature an opening crawl, differentiating it from the saga films.
November 23, 2016: Publicity Tour Began in Mexico
On November 23, 2016, the publicity tour for Rogue One began in Mexico, marking the start of the film's promotional campaign.
November 28, 2016: Post-Production Wrapped
On November 28, 2016, post-production of Rogue One wrapped, signifying the completion of the film's production process.
December 10, 2016: Premiere of Rogue One in Los Angeles
On December 10, 2016, Rogue One premiered in Los Angeles. The film was later released theatrically in the United States on December 16 and received positive reviews, grossing over $1 billion worldwide.
December 14, 2016: Rogue One Released in Select European Countries
On December 14, 2016, Rogue One was released in certain European countries, marking its initial international release.
December 2016: Release of Rogue One: Scarif Expansion Pack for Star Wars Battlefront
In December 2016, a downloadable expansion pack titled "Rogue One: Scarif" was released for Star Wars Battlefront (2015), adding content based on the film. This included new game modes, a map based on Scarif, and Jyn Erso and Orson Krennic as playable characters. A free virtual reality mission for PlayStation 4 was also released alongside the expansion.
December 16, 2016: Official Soundtrack Release
On December 16, 2016, the official soundtrack for Rogue One, composed by Michael Giacchino, was released by Walt Disney Records.
2016: Edwards explains the film's title
At the 2016 Star Wars Celebration, Gareth Edwards explained that the film's title, Rogue One, had three underlying meanings: a military sign, the 'rogue' one of the franchise, and a description of Jyn Erso's personality.
2016: Release of Rogue One
In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Gareth Edwards, was released. The film, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, serves as the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series and a direct prequel to the original Star Wars film.
January 6, 2017: Rogue One Released in China
On January 6, 2017, Rogue One was released in China.
March 24, 2017: Rogue One Released on Digital HD
On March 24, 2017, Rogue One was released on Digital HD.
May 2, 2017: Release of "Star Wars: Rebel Rising" and "Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills"
On May 2, 2017, Lucasfilm Press released two novels: "Star Wars: Rebel Rising" by Beth Revis, detailing Jyn Erso's life between her mother's death and her rescue from an Imperial labor camp, and "Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills" by Greg Rucka, exploring the backstories of Chirrut and Baze and providing context to the events on Jedha before the Imperial occupation.
May 2017: Chirrut Îmwe Voted Most Popular Rogue One Character
In May 2017, a poll on the official Star Wars website, with over 50,000 participants, determined that Chirrut Îmwe was voted as the most popular Rogue One character.
August 2017: IDW Publishing Announces Graphic Novel Adaptation
In August 2017, IDW Publishing announced they would create a one-shot graphic novel adaptation of the film, featuring more cartoonish visuals, which was released one day after the Marvel miniseries' collection was released.
2017: Desplat opted out due to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) commitments
In 2017, Alexandre Desplat opted out as composer for Rogue One due to scoring Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
November 8, 2018: Live-Action Prequel Series Announced
On November 8, 2018, a live-action prequel series focusing on Cassian Andor, with Diego Luna reprising his role, was announced to be in development for Disney+.
March 31, 2020: Rogue One Released on Ultra HD Blu-ray
On March 31, 2020, Rogue One was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, coinciding with a reissuing on Blu-ray and DVD.
April 2020: Star Wars Battlefront II Receives Rogue One-Inspired Update
In April 2020, a free update for Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) was released, adding a different Scarif map and other Rogue One-inspired content.
February 11, 2022: Extended Soundtrack Release
On February 11, 2022, an extended version of the Rogue One soundtrack was released, featuring additional demos and cues not included in the original album.
March 2022: Vinyl Soundtrack Release
In March 2022, a vinyl edition of the Rogue One soundtrack was released by Mondo, offering a physical version of the film's score.
August 26, 2022: Rogue One Re-Released in IMAX Theaters
On August 26, 2022, Disney re-released Rogue One in over 150 IMAX theaters across the United States and Canada to promote the release of Andor. The re-release featured an exclusive preview of the Disney+ series.
September 21, 2022: Premiere of Andor on Disney+
On September 21, 2022, Andor, a prequel television series to Rogue One, premiered on the streaming service Disney+.
2023: Edwards Disputes Sidelining Reports
In 2023, Gareth Edwards disputed reports that he was sidelined during the Rogue One reshoots, stating that he remained heavily involved and worked with Tony Gilroy.
April 22, 2025: Second season of "Andor" debuted
On April 22, 2025, the second season of the live-action prequel series Andor debuted. The series takes place five years before the events in Rogue One and focuses on Cassian Andor with Diego Luna reprising the role.
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