Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 10 things we know after getting exclusive access

Sith will hit the fan.

Star Wars events are happening all over the galaxy this weekend - ok, the big one is taking place in London because the Star Wars Celebration event is currently going on - and just like the finale of Return of the Jedi, everyone is euphoric because we've just been given some tantalising new footage of Gareth Edwards' film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We decided to fly our X-wing over the Irish Sea and drop in. Here's what we learned. 1) The baddest man in the galaxy is back. Yes, that’s right, Darth Vader will be making his return to the Star Wars galaxy this December. While we didn’t see his distinctive s**t scary lightsaber, mechanical suit or samurai helmet, we did hear that terrifying breathing during some exclusive footage. We can't wait. 2) A new planet for a new hope Scarif will be one of the latest planets that will see action during the greatest intergalactic civil war in history. The breathtakingly beatiful Maldives will provide the backdrop for that wonderful scene where the AT-AT's chase the fleeing rebels on the beach - as seen in the first trailer. They even shared some new art concepts. 3) The new poster is gorgeous. Look at it! https://twitter.com/starwars/status/753973051784658944 4) Visual style will be very different. Producer Kathleen Kennedy revealed that she wanted Gareth Edwards to direct this film mainly due to the way that he moves the camera. The producer remarked that the Monsters and Godzilla director always had a camera draped over his shoulder when she visited the set. Expect a very immersive style to the battles in Rogue One. It seems that they're going for a mix between a documentary aesthetic with the up-close feel of Saving Private Ryan. https://twitter.com/StarWarsUK/status/753970893362229253 5) It could have been a TV  show. The original idea for Rogue One was pitched 13 years ago during the filming of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Back then, it was intended to be a TV show but George Lucas felt that the idea was so strong it should be developed further. This was the very first piece of original concept art that was designed for the film. 6) Who is Jyn Erso? Not much was revealed about Felicity Jones' character apart from two things. 1) Unlike Rey or Luke, she definitely knows where she’s from but it’s this knowledge that propels the story forward. https://twitter.com/StarWarsUK/status/753975377119285248 How could this be? Well, Mads Mikkelsen will be playing her father, Galen Erso. The Casino Royale villain revealed that he's a scientist, who at one point, invented something that was truly beautiful with the potential to change the universe. Note the word 'could' here. Our money is on his research being hijacked by the Empire to build the Death Star. 7) There's  some man-droid love going on Diego Luna will play a character named Cassian who admits that there are "frictions and issues within the (Rebel) team". His character is also best friends with an imperial droid named K-2S0 (played by Alan Tudyk) ) who has a key role. Any chance that he knows the layout of a certain battle station? 8) Rogue leader, check in.  Bodhi (Riz Ahmed) is a pilot for the Empire but it appears that he's questioning his moral views. Yeah, working for the Empire would make you do that! Leading the rebel group is Forrest Whitaker's grizzled fighter, Saw Gerrera. The Oscar winner describes his character as someone that has been fighting the Empire for years. One very cool thing is that he was trained by the Jedi. 9) George Lucas approves. Gareth Edwards said that he almost crapped himself when Lucas showed up on set. https://twitter.com/adambvary/status/753979988089540608 10) May the force be with us  Take a look at some of the new footage. We can't wait until December 16th! https://twitter.com/starwars/status/753977012130226176