January the 4th: 'Rogue One' Redux

Posted Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 5:12 PM Central

by John Couture

No, that headline isn't a subtle reference to more adventures with the Rogue One crew, it's just a reminder that in the aftermath of Rogue One's release, this month's news coverage is going to be dominated by Rogue One news, naturally.

Speaking of the latest film in the Star Wars franchise, what did you think of it? If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? The film has surpassed $450 million at the U.S. box office and should become 2016's highest grossing release this weekend.

So, without further ado, let's get to it, shall we?

• Naturally, I was a first-day audience member for Rogue One and I've seen it twice now. It not only holds up well over repeat viewings, but there are a ton of little things that you miss the first time through. I shared my thoughts in a spoiler-filled review of the film. So, if you have seen it and want to see what I thought or share what you thought of the film, check out the review and post your comments.
• Speaking of Rogue One, the best joke I saw over the last few weeks is the one that circulated about how they are making a sequel to it. It's called A New Hope and will be directed by George Lucas for release in 1977. While everyone associated with the film has denied that there will be a sequel, the Hollywood Reporter found out that Felicity Jones actually has a sequel option in her contract.

  I'm not exactly sure how that would work precisely, but I think it's very possible that her Jyn Erso might pop up in other stand-alone Star Wars films. Stay tuned on this one. Speaking of other characters popping up in stand-alone films, who doesn't want to see Donnie Yen's Chirrut Îmwe pop up in Han Solo?

• Apparently, Rogue One went through a bunch of revisions and the flim nearly went many different directions. Coming Soon has 9 Scrapped Ideas from Rogue One. It's an interesting read for sure.
• Finally, as you all know by now, Star Wars lost royalty when Carrie Fisher passed away last week. I really can't offer much that hasn't been said already, but her portrayal of Princess Leia helped to define the idea of strong female protagonist in films and her legacy will always be felt. May the force always be with you Carrie.

  In case you were wondering, she did finish shooting her scenes for Episode VIII due out next December. What is unclear though is how the franchise will handle her passing between VIII and IX. I imagine that massive rewrites are being done on the film that is set to be released in 2019.