Star Wars: Rogue One Reveals Cast, Death Star Plot Line

Disney and Lucasfilm have detailed the plot and cast of their 2016 film Star Wars: Rogue One, the first live-action anthology film in the space saga. During the Star Warsshowcase at Disneys D23 fan expo in Anaheim, California Saturday, producers revealed that previously announced cast members Felicity Jones and Diego Luna would be joined by Bloodlines Ben Mendelsohn, Hannibals Mads Mikkelsen and Forest Whitaker in the Gareth Edwards-directed action film.

Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and Im so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast hes selected for Rogue One.

The anthology film will tell the story of events hinted at in 1977s Star Wars: A New Hope, where a hologram of Princess Leia speaks in passing about a group of resistance fighterswho risked their livesto steal the plans for the Death Star, which Luke Skywalker later destroyed. Rogue One will focus on that mission to steal those blueprints, a heist that sparked the original Star Wars trilogy, Entertainment Weekly reports.

30 Best 'Star Wars' MomentsPhil Anselmo Remembers Dimebag Darrell: 'I Think of Him Every Day'Rob Sheffield's 50 Best Songs of the 2010s

Fireflys Alan Tudyk, Hong Kong action star Donnie Yi, Nightcrawlers Riz Ahmed and Jiang Wen round out the Rogue One team. Godzilla director Edwards presented the cast at D23 for the first time via video from London, where Rogue One just started filming this week. We just shot our first ever scene, and were just about to shoot our second scene, so I have to go, Edwards told the crowd. I look forward to sharing everything with you at the cinema in 2016. Rogue One is due out December 16, 2016.

In other Star Wars news, producers revealed that Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow would helm the upcoming series Episode IX, followingJ.J. Abrams The Force Awakens and Rian Johnsons Episode XIII in 2017.Trevorrows contribution to the Star Wars cinematic universe is scheduled to hit theaters in 2019.