It has been officially confirmed that "Star Wars: Rouge One" - the first "Star Wars Anthology" (standalone) film from Lucasfilm - will take place after Episode III and shortly before Episode IV. It will focus on a mission to steal the plans for the first Death Star. Currently, the only confirmed cast member is Felicity Jones ("The Theory of Everything"), who will be playing a Rebel soldier.
Ben Mendelsohn ("Bloodline") is also rumored to be eyed for a role in the film as well as Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") and Edgar Ramierez ("Clash of the Titans"). Now we can add two more names to the growing list of potential cast members: Sam Claflin ("The Hunger Games") and Riz Ahmed ("Nightcrawler").
According to The Wrap, Claflin is the front-runner for a starring role in "Rouge One," with Ahmed already in negotiations for a key supporting role. However, that is not confirmed as Variety is reporting that it is Ahmed, who is rumored to have better chemistry with Jones, who is being eyed for a lead role.
Ahmed, a British Hip Hop artist, recently appeared in "Nightcrawler" with Jake Gyllenhaal and was very impressive in his general debut with American audiences. Claflin, meanwhile, is best known for his role as Finnick Odair in "The Hunger Games" series.
"Rouge One" is an interesting film not only because it will jump start the Anthology series of "Star Wars" films but also because it is shaping up to be a mix of up-and-comers and veterans. That includes director Gareth Edwards, who is best known for the low-budget hit sci-fi film "Monsters" and the more divisive "Godzilla."
The script is rumored to have Rebel soldiers joining forces with bounty hunter and no Force users anywhere to be seen. Disney and LucasFilm aren't necessarily banking on this film being a blockbuster hit (although "Godzilla" crossed the magic half billion mark worldwide) . The studio's financial concerns are pretty well taken care of thanks to the money the new "Star Wars" trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is guaranteed to generate. But the film does need to be at least a moderate success for LucasFilm to justify their planned series of standalone films. It remains to be seen if fans will respond to a "Star Wars" movie without any of the classic "Star Wars" elements present.
"Rouge One" hits theaters on December 16, 2016.
