Continuing the countdown of top Disney stories of this year we hit Star Wars, which was a big story last year.
2016 was mostly about Rogue One – the stand alone Star Wars film that would help decide the fate of the franchise’s standalone movies. Throughout the year were quite a bit of trailers and TV spots, possibly more than Force Awakens. It seems like there has been a large amount of hype, but there was not a lot known about the film as things were kept tight before its debut.
It really wasn’t until April that we saw glimpses of the film and heard some firm things about the full cast. That was despite a panel and teaser at Star Wars Celebration the year before.
Once Star Wars Celebration this year things escalated quite a bit because of the cast being in a big presentation, and some clips being shown. But, that was in July – a mere months before the film would debut. Suddenly from there came a plethora of teaser previews and television commercials. Not to mention merchandise that gave insight.
With little information coming from Lucasfilm it may have helped in the hype, making the movie a mysterious one. But, maybe it hurt a bit as sales weren’t as big as its older brother film, Force Awakens. At the same time, having a movie that leads into a classic Star Wars story may not need as much known. Having a lot unknown keeps the story compelling once it’s seen by an audience.
Now that the movie has been out in theaters for a couple weeks, there have been favorable reviews and cash rolling in. The movie is a hit and shows that even the standalone Star Wars stories can have a huge presence among fans and general audience.
Below are a few highlights of Rogue One unfolding over the year.
Star Wars Celebration – Rogue One details emerge
Being cautious about Rogue One
