‘Rogue One’ thrills Star Wars fans at world premiere – New characters, story lines engaging

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LOS ANGELES, Dec 13, (RTRS): The force took over Hollywood on Saturday night as Disney-Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” premiered to wild applause at the Pantages Theatre.

Celebrities and fans cheered throughout the end credits of the film, which has a running time of 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Some observers in the crowd remarked afterward how surprisingly action packed and beautiful the film looked. Others noted how much they liked the new characters in the prequel, which opens next Friday.

“It was excellent,” said fan Chris Canole. “The new characters and story lines really engaged me. It reminded me of ‘The Dirty Dozen.’”

The “Rogue One” screening began at 7 pm with no introduction, unlike last year when Disney Chairman Bob Iger spoke before “The Force Awakens.”

Felicity Jones, the Oscar-nominated star of the film, got the night’s biggest raves. Actors Donnie Yen and Alan Tudyk, who play Chirrut Imwe and robot K-2SO, also received enthusiastic responses. The film co-stars Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker.

Dane Cook told his Twitter followers the movie could be the best of the eight Star Wars films.

Reaction to the first public showing of “Rogue One,” which begins opening in international markets on Wednesday, will no doubt represent a relief to the multitudes of Star Wars fans. Disney’s review embargo lifts Tuesday.

“Rogue One” is the eighth film in the Star Wars franchise but the first to step outside the narrative of the other seven films in a standalone story set shortly before the events of 1977’s original “Star Wars” — though Darth Vader, the Galactic Empire and The Death Star remain key elements.

Schematics

It follows a group of rebel spies trying to steal the schematics for the Empire’s Death Star. It’s directed by Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”) from a script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy.

Anticipation has been building for several days, particularly with a massive model of an X-Wing fighter placed on front of the Pantages. The festivities began with a red carpet that started at about 5 pm Saturday.

Disney is launching “Rogue One” accompanied by enormous expectations, four years after it acquired Lucasfilm from founder George Lucas in October, 2012, for $4 billion. “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” fulfilled the initial hopes last year with a $248 million domestic launch on its way to a worldwide box office gross of $2.1 billion. But Disney is on the hook for four more Star Wars films through 2020.

Recent forecasts have predicted that “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is on pace for an opening weekend of more than $130 million in the US, according to pre-release tracking.

Company head Bob Iger said in September the studio was not expecting the film to do “Force Awakens”-level business because it exists outside of the main narrative about the Skywalker clan. It relies largely on a new cast of characters, instead or bringing back fan favorites such as Han Solo and Princess Leia.

George Takei is thrilled that the upcoming series “Star Trek: Discovery” will feature an openly gay character.

“I’m eager to see him,” Takei said of Anthony Rapp, who will portray a gay Starfleet science officer on the upcoming CBS All Access spin-off.

Takei, who is openly gay, talked about LGBT characters in the “Trek” universe at Saturday’s Unforgettable Gala, honoring Asians in entertainment, where he was presented with the ICON Award.

In the latest franchise film, “Star Trek Beyond,” it is revealed that the character he originated — Hikaru Sulu — is gay. Takei had mixed feelings about the announcement because it departed from creator Gene Roddenberry’s original vision.

“When I was informed they were making Sulu gay, I said, ‘It’s wonderful that they can deal with the gay issue. But honor Gene. It’s not about me. It’s about Gene’s vision and respect him and respect the characters that he created.’”

“But be as imaginative and creative as Gene was,” Takei advised producers, “Create a new character and make him or her gay with the issues he or she might have to deal with in the 23rd century. That would be exciting. That would be paying tribute.”

Instead, producers chose to make Sulu gay in 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.”

“I wasn’t persuasive and they made Sulu gay. They said it was a tribute to me, so I appreciate that part,” Takei explained. “But now Gene is really going to be honored by ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ by having that original character, played by a wonderfully talented actor. I think it is the way it should’ve been done.”

Takei explained how he approached Roddenberry to do a gay storyline at the time, but audiences in the 1960s were not prepared for that.

“Gene created all of the characters as straight characters. Because of the times, it could be not be on the air if you have a gay character. In fact, we had one episode where the white captain, Kirk, kissed the black Uhura, and that show was blacked out — literally blacked out — in the Southern areas. Stations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia refused to air it. We hit rock bottom.”

“I was lobbying Gene to do an episode that deals with LGBT issues and equality,” Takei explained. “He said, ‘I’m aware of that and I support that but I’m walking a tightrope. I can’t step a little too far or the show will be canceled.’”

“But those days are past,” Takei said reflectively.

At 79, Takei is looking forward to the future. On Tuesday, cinemas are holding a special screening of his play “Allegiance,” based on his time spent as a child in internment camps.

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