By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were more stories than those of the Skywalker family. That was the idea Disney was counting on when it purchased George Lucas's empire Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, and the rights to everything in the "Star Wars" universe. Sure, they'd continue chronicling the trajectory of the Skywalkers, but what else was out there?
It was 30-year Lucas veteran John Knoll who thought of telling the story of the rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star, only alluded to in the opening crawl of the original 1977 "Star Wars." And with that, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was born. It hits theaters next week, kicking off Lucasfilm and Disney's spinoff gamble. There are already two more in the works, including a young Han Solo standalone for 2018. The plan is to release the spinoffs in the gap years between the next two installments of the main saga (Episode VIII comes out next December.).
If Marvel can have a universe, after all, why can't Star Wars? The idea of "spinning off" Star Wars, though, has existed about as long as the idea of Star Wars, but three decades ago, that was more of a TV-special or straight-to-video proposition. Now, the spinoffs are as important as the main films and are being given the full blockbuster treatment – big budgets (reports say $200 million), burgeoning stars and hefty marketing expenses. Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy has promised that they'll run the gamut in size, scope and genre, too.
For "Rogue One," they chose British director Gareth Edwards, known for the indie "Monsters" and the 2014 "Godzilla" reboot. He lived and breathed "Star Wars" – a requirement for executives who want "caretakers" for the franchise.
Edwards' film is set in a time of conflict and unrest, as the Empire grows and various rebel factions assemble in resistance, introducing a whole batch of new characters: The heroine Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones); her scientist father, Galen (Mads Mikkelsen); a rebel spy, Cassian (Diego Luna) and his sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk); an extremist, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker); and a pilot for the Empire, Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed).
Inspired by WWII classics like "The Guns of Navarone," and shot by "Zero Dark Thirty" cinematographer Greig Fraser, "Rogue One" promises to be a grittier film, putting the war back in "Star Wars."
"We tried to feel embedded like a real film crew in a war zone and give it that kind of flavor," said Edwards, who was sometimes literally in the trenches with the cast.
Ben Mendelsohn, who plays Imperial Officer Orson Krennic, said it's "pretty intense."
"There is a lot of battle," Mendelsohn said. "This is a tougher Star Wars film, in certain respects, than any of its predecessors."
"The Force Awakens" and its $2 billion in worldwide earnings was always going to be a tough act to follow, but "Rogue One" has had a particularly bumpy ride – at least in the public imagination. There were rumors about expensive reshoots. The production had also hired veteran scribe Tony Gilroy, of "The Bourne Identity," to help with the script, which didn't assuage fears that there was something deeply wrong that needed "fixing." While reshoots are a common practice for any blockbuster, it nonetheless made fans nervous. Would this be another underwhelming prequel situation? Or would they knock it out of the park as with "The Force Awakens" – a production that, even when Harrison Ford broke his leg on set, never seemed to exhibit any weaknesses.
Edwards said "Rogue One" ''just grew."
"We shot the movie in a very realistic way, a lot of handheld, a lot of documentary-style stuff," he said. "We showed it to the studio and they were very supportive and they said 'look, whatever you need to do just do it.' The visual effects shots went from like 600 to 1,600, which was great for me. It felt like 'this is exactly what it needs to be.'"
What that means for audiences is another thing. "Rogue One" is being treated with a secrecy similar to that of "The Force Awakens." The cast has seen it, but few others will until the film's premiere in Los Angeles on Dec. 10.
For Diego Luna, this is as it should be. Watching "The Force Awakens" and knowing precious little about it let him experience cinema as he did in childhood.
"You sat down and let the film happen to you and those answers come to you through the voice of a director – not through the voice of a blogger and a reviewer and then the trailer and then the song and the toy," Luna said. "Because of the secrecy and because of all these filters, they're managing to go back to that time where cinema happened inside of the cinema."
Now, everyone is waiting to see how big of an appetite there will be for the spinoffs. "Rogue One" is tracking to open to over $130 million – the second-highest ever for December – but still a far cry from "The Force Awakens'" $248 million. And then there's the question of how it will holdup.
"Obviously there's a lot riding on this. But what does that mean?" Edwards wondered. "The riskiest thing you could do with Star Wars is not take a risk."
Or, never tell a Star Wars fan the odds.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowersโ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, โHis artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.โ
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, โKris first caught my attention when he released his record โHeroes + Misfitsโ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More