By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) --The Jedis are all but extinct, the Old Republic is in turmoil and the threat of the Death Star is looming in "Rogue One," fans learned at Star Wars Celebration on Sunday.
Director Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla") debuted a tantalizing concept reel to preview the mysterious film, which is part of a series of films exploring other stories outside of the core "Star Wars" saga.
"For more than 1,000 generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire," the voiceover reads, as the camera tracks to show a ghostly Death Star hovering in the clouds.
Set between the third and the fourth movies in the "Star Wars" saga, the film will follow a band of resistance fighters who unite to steal the Death Star plans and "bring a new hope," referring to the subtitle of the original "Star Wars."
Felicity Jones, who recently garnered an Oscar nomination for her role in "The Theory of Everything" is the only confirmed cast member for the film, which will shoot in London this summer for a Dec. 16, 2016 release. Jones will play a rebel soldier, the director said.
Edwards said that her character will not just be a stoic soldier, but a complex, fully rounded human.
"We wanted to see fear, warmth, all of those aspects that everybody has," he said, excited that Jones embodies "the complete package."
In the world of "Rogue One," Edwards said the "absence of Jedi is omnipresent."
The characters in the film realize that the "gods are not coming to save us," he said. "It comes down to a group of people who don't have magical powers who band together to bring hope to the galaxy."
"Cinderella" scribe Chis Weitz wrote the screenplay based on an idea from visual effects supervisor John Knoll.
Josh Trank, who is set to direct the next, still untitled "Star Wars" anthology film, did not attend the event although he was originally scheduled to appear.
Kiri Hart, vice president of development for Lucasfilm, said that the anthology films will vary in "scale and genre."
"We wanted freedom to do some films that would be able to stand on their own and tell unique stories," she said.
"They can still feel like 'Star Wars' and be 'Star Wars.'"
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More