Rogue One TV Spots Feature New Footage

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is about to hit theaters, and it couldn't have a better opportunity to establish the new Star Wars standalone film brand. Few knew that the world would be in such a state of upheaval at the time of Rogue One's release. in the US alone, protests and talk of rebellion against authority is at an all-time high. Not to be cynical, but that's a perfect seam for Rogue One to fit into, inspiring new hope (literally) through its tale of determination and danger, as a small group of Rebels embark on that iconic mission to steal the plans for The Death Star.

These latest TV Spots and promos have played up the heart swell romance of The Rebellion, while also selling the main characters of the film - like Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the blind Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie yen) and his gun-slinging buddy, Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) - as your classic sort of Star Wars heroes.

It's a far cry form where the first Rogue One teaser trailer began, with its dark, ominous tone and deeper philosophical quandary about what fighting The Empire does to a person (i.e., makes them harder and more militant). It's a smart marketing adjustment, if anything; it might be purely by (luck?) coincidence, but Rogue One is positioned now to make a big bank off not just a Star Wars story, but the story of igniting hope in dark times - which is a tale many viewers may need this holiday season.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One is the first of the new standalone features from Lucasfilm and Disney, which take place outside the core "Skywalker Saga" of films noted by an Episode number. Rogue One tells the story of the small band of rebels that were tasked with stealing the plans to the first Death Star. The story spins directly off the opening crawl from the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. In that crawl, it read: "Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet."

LINKS: MORE Rogue One TV Spots | Darth Maul Comic Book Announced | Warwick Davis' character Reveaeld | Does Jyn Erso Have a Major Star Wars Artifact? | Is K-2SO really a bad guy?| Star Wars' Most Killer Droids| Star Wars Rebels: Iron Squadron Preview

Rouge One: A Star Wars Story will be in theaters on December 16, 2016. Star Wars: Episode VIII will be in theaters on December 15, 2017. The Han Solo Standalone Film will be released on May 25, 2018. Star Wars: Episode IX will be in theaters on May 23, 2019.