A new, three-minute preview of the highly anticipated movie will debut during ABC’s broadcast of Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey, a documentary on last year’s blockbuster sequel that was also available on the DVD and Blu-ray editions of The Force Awakens. Although the trailer will likely find its way online before the show’s 8 p.m. ET/PT broadcast, fans will certainly want to set their DVRs and mark their calendars for the preview’s official premiere, just to be safe.
News of the trailer’s premiere arrives via Star Wars news site Making Star Wars, which posted screenshots of the documentary’s guide description that includes a mention of the Rogue One trailer. However, with the film’s official panel scheduled for earlier that day in London, the trailer is likely to premiere during that event, then find its way online — either officially or unofficially — after the panel.
Directed by Monsters and Godzilla filmmaker Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set in the period between the events of prequel film Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith and the franchise-spawning 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. The film follows the group of rebel agents tasked with stealing the plans to the Death Star.
Oscar-nominated The Theory of Everything actress Felicity Jones stars as the resourceful rebel Jyn Erso. She’s joined in the cast by Diego Luna (Milk), Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal), and Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler). Firefly actor Alan Tudyk provides the motion-capture performance for the robot K-2SO.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story features a script penned by About a Boy and The Golden Compass screenwriter Chris Weitz, based on a story conceived by Star Wars franchise veteran John Knoll (who also serves as an executive producer on the film) and The Book of Eli and The Walking Dead: The Game writer Gary Whitta. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Speech) will provide the film’s score.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is scheduled to hit theaters December 16.
