Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards Stole The Actual Death Star Plans From Set

It seems quite fitting that the man who directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney and Lucasfilm’s highly-anticipated standalone Star Wars adventure, took the Death Star plans home with him once the film was completed since stealing those plans is what triggers the film’s plot.

Today, during a special live event at Facebook HQ, directed Gareth Edwards and his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story cast — Riz Ahmed (Bodhi Rook), Diego Luna (Cassian Andor), Donnie Yen (Chirrut Îmwe), Alan Tudyk (the droid K-2SO), Ben Mendelsohn (villain Director Orson Krennic), and star Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso) — were asked if kept any props or costumes or set pieces.

“There was only thing I wanted that whole shoot,” Edwards told the moderator, “and the entire time, I kept whispering to people like, ‘Where do you keep that? Where will it be at the end? How do I get hold of it? Can I have it?’ And it was like, ‘Aw, no, this is going to be archived. It’s like part of film history and blah-blah-blah.’ So obviously I didn’t do this because they’ll want it back.” Edwards was reluctant to share anything more about his thievery, but after being prodded by the cast, he spilled the beans. “I stole the Death Star plans,” he admitted.

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers.

MORE STAR WARS NEWS: Epcot’s Spaceship Earth Becoming the Death Star | John Williams Begins Star Wars: Episode VIII Score | First Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Clip Released | Star Wars Defeats Deadpool, Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange in Ticket Pre-Sales | Lucasfilm Affirms: There Will Be No Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Sequel (Obviously)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016.