Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Disney's beginning the much needed campaign to explain just what the hell a Star Wars Story is to mass audiences. It's a bigger job than you may think. We Star Wars geeks easily understand where these spin-off movies fit into the broader Star Wars universe, but I can't tell you how many general audience members I've seen confused over the last trailer. To them it's just "the new one" (ie, Episode 8). Is that Rey? Where's BB-8?
I have friends that love Star Wars that had no idea there was a movie coming taking place before A New Hope.
It's confusing to the general movie-goer, but Disney's marketing department can overcome it. This info dump given to EW is their first step at that.
First of all, yes Darth Vader plays a part in the movie. I can all but guarantee he's going to be on the poster and in trailers leading up to release. It's a key way to alert those confused people that this Star Wars movie isn't part of the new Trilogy and show off one of the series' most iconic characters at the same time.
So, what do we know about the new characters? I've already posted a story on Forest Whitaker's character, Saw Gerrera, who was first introduced as a young guerilla fighter in The Clone Wars, but what about the rest?
Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso is described as a "streetwise delinquent" who is detained by the Rebellion and given a second chance by taking part in this mission. Mads Mikkelsen is indeed her father, Galen Erso, who is some kind of scientist whose knowledge is sought by both the good guys and the bad guys.
Diego Luna is Rebel Captain Cassian Andor, an experienced fighter and intelligence officer.
Donnie Yen is Chirrut Imwe and is indeed a blind warrior. He's not a Jedi, but “is devoted to their ways.” Kathy Kennedy describes him as a Warrior Monk.
Jiang Wen plays Baze Malbus and is a counterpart to Chirrut Imwe. He prefers heavy weapons to spirituality. He may not believe in old religions like Imwe, but he's a devoted friend. EW says to think of them as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Riz Ahmed is Bodhi Rook, the team's pilot and is described as “volatile” and a “hot-head.”
Alan Tudyk is the droid, K-2S0, described as a powerful security droid. Edwards calls him “the antithesis of C-3PO.” The EW piece calls him Kaytoo and describes him as kind of Chewbacca's personality in a droid's body. He also, apparently, doesn't give a shit about anybody's feelings. So, asshole fighter droid. I dig it.
Ben Mendelson is Director Orson Krennic, leader of the Deathtroopers who is trying to curry the Emperor's favor while “avoiding the wrath of his enforcer, Darth Vader.”
Those are the big reveals. Of all of that, I have to say I'm most intrigued by the politics surrounding the Empire side of the story. Sounds like the bad guys are being sneaky and trying to backstab each other in order to get ahead in the organization and I dig that.
What do you folks think?
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
quint@aintitcool.com
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