SPECULATION Plot of Rogue One

I'm more and more leaning into the direction that what we are getting is in fact a filmed version of the ANH opening crawl:

"It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet."

So the plot would be about Rogue Squadron raising havoc as a diversion so that a team of bounty hunters/spies/Rebel commandos (or a mix thereof) can get into an otherwise impregnable Supa Sekrit Location X and steal the plans, and when they are inevitably discovered/betrayed, their escape needs to be covered. Much more space combat than the average SW film, but with the "heist" plot running alongside.

 

Don't we only know the title, the director and one actor? Can you elaborate a bit more on what makes you "more and more leaning into the direction that what we are getting is in fact a filmed version of the ANH opening crawl:"

It could be cool, but just wondering if I was missing anything.

 

i think this movie will take place before luke joins the rebellion( in between revenge of the sith and a new hope) The movie of course will focus on rouge one and rouge squadron. my guess is that it will show the early days of the rebellion.

 

The events of the film might happen between ANH and TESB.
We have three years passing between these two episodes and we nearly know nothing of this time. I would like it, if the movie would be set there.
It could also being set between ROTJ and TFA. But I doubt that a movie named ”Rogue One” could cover up enough story to tear these two together and cover up a time period of about 30 years.

 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far,
far away....

It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, rebel
spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power to
destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire's
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save
her people and restore
freedom to the galaxy....

I highlighted the relevant text. We know the rebels have been victorious previously, just based on what we've seen so far on Rebels. This could be mildly retconned to mean the Rebel Alliance as a unified entity and not independent cells.

I take this to imply the battle happened, but the plans were maybe not the primary mission. Maybe. Again, this could be retconned a bit if the "rebel spies" were off-the-books operatives.

I also think the implication is that the hidden base is Yavin IV, just because the crawl sets up the reveal of the base at the end of the film.

Anyway, this is just some historical context for what we're assuming the film to be about. Always good to go back to the source!

 

Man if they go that route, which I think would be absolutely genius, the spin offs will be better than the main movies, to me anyway.

 

If they go the route of straighter pilots, I want a scene of pilots painting pin-up models and tie fighter checklists on the noses of their ships.

It would be hilarious if one of the alien species joins the cause and paints a completely undesirable pin-up model on his ship and the other guys and gals could give him grief about it!

 

I can see as a fan how reading the "Rouge One" title makes you think of star fighters and if this is the case i would be happy........ but here is some fruit for thought Darth Mual came back in the clone wars and basically took over Mandalor if the spin-off movies are rumored to take place during the OT or between PT and OT i would love to still see Boba Fett sooooo... My thought that is different is what if there was a reason for Obi and Boba to go back to Mandalor and take it back i mean i am a Mandalorian in my heart and soul so im stuck on this idea but Obi and Mual hate one another and Boba Fett knows nothing of his linage and bloodline i think the Rouge One could be a title that fitts Boba in this. Boba much like Canderous Ordo in canon now has no tie to the Mandalorian home world and we don't hear why or if he ever had ties to his home world i mean you guys cant say Boba aint a Rouge One

 

I see what you're saying...but Disney is making a BIG mistake by picking that title if they aren't going to have fighter pilots as the focus. It would be VERY disappointing. They would have thought it through and picked a different (less confusing) title.

 

So the pilot of Slave 1 is Rogue 1? I don't see it.

It is possible that Rebels will spawn a second cell or a spin-off cell.

 

Exactly.

Plus, don't forget the photo that Gary Whitta tweeted of himself in connection with his writing work on Rogue One:

 

Rogue 1 is confirmed for IMAX release! http://variety.com/2015/film/news/imax-captain-america-civil-war-stars-wars-rogue-one-1201468353/

 

I think Rogue-1 will be along the lines of action-war films like The Dirty Dozen, The Wild Geese, Flying Tigers & heist/spy films like Oceans 11, MI:4 Ghost Protocol.
Maybe we will learn who the "Bothians" are-were. Or how the Alliance obtained the Death Star plans/R2 data.
If I were Disney or ILM Id lighten the tone, make it PG/PG13 & keep it simple. Maybe a double cross or 2 but no 3hr bore-fests or dialog heavy scenes(watch young Natalie Portman & Ewan MacGregor stumble thru that).

A bit more screen time for ADM Ackbar and the brave Mon Calamari navy would be nice. They deserve some recognition not just background or "giant lobsters" as Mark Hamill called them.

 

So will Leia aquire these Death Star plans at the end of the movie somehow, or will she be in this movie? Just curious because she ends up with those plans.

 

I don't think we need to explicity see Leia. But they have to get aboard the Tantive IV at some point. Would be interesting to see Jimmy Smitz play Bail Organa again for the upcoming movie.

It would be cool to see Vader's Star Destroy begin it's initial assault on the Tantive IV and that's how the movie ends.

 

Leia doesn't really need to be in the climax or end of the film.
With new technology and advances, when the Rebel squad steals the data they can D/L it all into R2D2 then just tell Leia R2 has the secret plans.
Like I posted before, Rogue One may have fake Death Star plans or a double cross.
They didn't have cell phones, Internet and such back in the 1970s/early 1980s.
It could be argued that the plans can't be emailed or sent by computers because the Empire controls all the signals or lines.

 

Where Eagles Dare. The Guns of Navarone. The Dirty Dozen. I think these films will be the blueprint. And that's very exciting to me.

 

I couldn't agree more! You don't get much more old-school Star Wars than that.

 

I posted this in a different thread, but the trench run cops dialogue word for word from Dam Busters.
Here's a fun edit.