The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer hit this morning, and it is simply amazing! The perfect blend of old and new as the first spinoff arrives from director Gareth Edwards. While it has long been rumored that Darth Vader or Boba Fett might show up in this sneak peek footage, it was another iconic character that completely took fans breath away. Simply because she doesn't look to have aged a day since we first saw her in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi over thirty years ago.
Yes, that is Mon Mothma you see standing in front of that familiar neon green command center. First introduced in Return of the Jedi, Mothma served in the Galactic Senate and Imperial Senate as the representative of Chandrila, the leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the first chancellor of the New Republic. At the end of the Clone War, as Palpatine continued to amass power and ultimately transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Mothma worked with Senator Organa to begin planting the seeds of rebellion against the Imperial regime. Though she remained in the Imperial Senate as a proponent of democracy, these seeds ultimately led to the formation of the Rebel Alliance to militarily combat the might of the Empire. We'll finally get to see some of this backstory play out in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Caroline Blakiston originated the character in Return of the Jedi. Genevieve O'Reilly took on a much younger version of the character in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. And she is believed to be reprising her role here, though her casting has not been confirmed by Disney and Lucasfilm. You can see Mon Mothma in the trailer and photos below.
Based on a story often heard but never seen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a prequel to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. It is a period of Civil War. The Rebel's have scored their first major victory against the Galactic Empire after a surprise attack from a hidden base. And It's during this sneak raid that a team of Rebel spies manage to steal the secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon: The dreaded Death Star!
This first footage introduces leading lady Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso. She is captured by the Rebels and then sent on a secret mission under the orders of Mon Mothma. Together with Diego Luna's Cassein Willix, the pair don disguises and infiltrate the Galactic Empire. This moment, which is a direct callback to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, is seen in the trailer.
The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed and Wen Jiang. The movie is directed by Gareth Edwards. The script is by Chris Weitz, with the story coming from Gary Whitta and John Knoll based on characters and ideas created by George Lucas. It is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel, executive produced by John Knoll and Jason McGatlin, and co-produced by John Swartz and Kiri Hart. Check out these first images of Mon Mothma in action, along with the first trailer in case you missed it.
