We live in a vast and complicated world, and it is easy to feel lost within it. In a population of 8.3 billion people, what is the value of an individual life, and what makes a life significant? In the face of this scale, one can easily develop a sense of purposelessness – but art can be a remarkable eye-opener, and I recently found myself floored while watching director Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams and hearing a very special line of dialogue: “The world needs a hermit in the woods as much as a preacher on the pulpit.”

Without sharing any spoilers (as it comes from toward the end of the film), the line is delivered by Kerry Condon's Claire Thompson, an agent of the United States Forest Service, to Joel Edgerton's protagonist Robert Grainier, and I was struck by its beautiful philosophy: though you may at times find yourself feeling insignificant, the reality is that each and every one of us have our own part to play in our world. It’s a wonderful and optimistic idea, and I felt compelled to ask the stars of Train Dreams about it when I spoke with them at the film’s Los Angeles press day last month.

In the Golden Globe-nominated film, the aforementioned Robert Grainier is simple 20th century man, living in the Pacific Northwest working as a logger to provide for his wife and child, but Joel Edgerton stressed that he as a seemingly ordinary man is no less extraordinary than the men and women whom our society holds up as heroes or in higher classes. We all have a special and equal part to play in our world, or in his words:

Train Dreams explores the full adult life of its protagonist, seeing him through struggle, bliss, tragic loss, new vocations, age, and societal change. His relationship with the world around him constantly evolves, and co-star Felicity Jones (who plays Robert’s wife) sees his depicted journey as a search for and understanding of purpose. Said Jones,

And one could argue that we are each at our happiest when we feel as though we are contributing to what we view as our purpose.

When I asked Kerry Condon about the special line in question, she added an extra dimension to the idea: understanding one’s own stresses about purposelessness should come part and parcel with understanding the universality of that feeling. Building on Joel Edgerton’s commentary about personally recognizing individuality, she added that there should be an abolishment of judgement. She explained,

There is a beautiful simplicity to the tale in Train Dreams that comes with a somber energy. But its message ultimately isn’t downbeat, and William H. Macy, who plays one of Robert Grainier’s fellow loggers, doesn’t believe that the film is overwhelmed by its darker and sadder moments. He added,

If you haven’t already experienced the amazing film for yourself, Train Dreams is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription, and given the buzz around it, you can expect to hear quite more about it in the coming weeks and months of awards season.

Going home for the holidays always brings a mix of emotions. No matter how grown-up you are, somehow, once you step into your childhood home, you slip back into that awkward kid you once were. That is true for me at the very least, and it is certainly true for Felicity Jones’ character in the upcoming film Oh. What. Fun, which just hit the 2025 movie schedule, complete with some awkward shenanigans involving a bed.

In the 2025 Christmas film, Felicity Jones plays Channing, the eldest daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Claire, who brings her whole family to her parents' home for the holidays. Channing and her husband, played by Jason Schwartzman, are put up in what appears to be her childhood bedroom. The problem is the room only has a single twin bed in it, and the couple is expected to sleep in it for the duration of their stay.

When I had a chance to sit down and talk with the Oh. What. Fun actress, I had to ask: Why does Channing never bring up the bed situation with her mom? I was a shocked when Felicity Jones told me the entire bed subplot represents something much deeper.

To be honest, I thought that she would tell me that it was because two grown adults put in a single bed was just a funny conceit. Now I know it's deeper meaning, I'm seeing it in a totally different light.

Sometimes it's hard for parents to recognize their children have grown up, have their own lives and families, and want to make new holiday traditions. That’s exactly what Jones’ character struggles with in the film. Honestly, she could use a little of Jyn Erso’s hardened badassness to confront her mother more directly—something many of us (OK me, I'm talking about me) struggle with.

While the single bed symbolizes Channing’s emotional struggles, I was correct in thinking it is also objectively hilarious. As Jones told CinemaBlend:

Ultimately, Oh. What. Fun. is a comedy, and Jones will make you laugh far more often than she’ll make you cry. Don’t just take my word for it—you can see for yourself with an Amazon Prime subscription.

For me, Oh. What. Fun delivered exactly what I hoped it would, it was funny, heartfelt, and it made me feel something. The best holiday movies do this, creating a nice little package of both comedy and heart, all wrapped up in a little bow.

The holidays are full of fun (and sometimes surprisingly creepy) traditions. Whether you are decorating a tree, mailing letters to Santa, or watching some brand new Christmas movies, there is no shortage of ways to celebrate. One trend that has become very popular in recent years, and arguably is the one I find to be the creepiest, has to be the Elf on A Shelf. It’s also a recurring bit in the upcoming film Oh.What.Fun, and star Jason Schwartzman is on the same page with me.

When Oh. What. Fun hits the 2025 movie schedule, you'll get your Elf on A Shelf fix in. In the movie, Jason Schwartzman and Felicity Jones play a married couple who are frequently watched by Jones' childhood Elf on a Shelf, Barnaby. Barnaby is never on a shelf, but pops up in the most unexpected places and is absolutely keeping tabs on Schwartzman’s character.

So, when I had the chance to chat with Schwartzman, I had to ask him about how unnerving Santa and his loyal elf scouts can be. Honestly, I was a little relieved when he was as skeeved out by the idea of Santa (and his Little Helpers) watching you as I was.

Story checks out. Schwartzman said he gets nervous around A-listers like Steve Carell, so why not some pint-sized mischief makers? If you distill the idea of Santa Claus down even further, the underlying concept is basically just a strange man in a red suit watching you all year long. Instead of Santa simply observing from afar, his little “helpers” are inside your house, popping up in unexpected places. The actor also told CinemaBlend:

Maybe the elves are not inherently creepy - perhaps they have just seen too many naughty kids? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them join Buddy the Elf for some drinking and smoking when the holidays are done. Still, the idea of being under constant surveillance is unsettling. The elves may not have much of a choice, though. Who knows what working for Santa is like? They probably need to unionize.

Elf on A Shelf is only a small part of Oh.What.Fun, but its creepiness is used to great comedic effect. Deep down, I am interested to hear if everyone else is as bothered by these mischief makers as I am. The good news is you can watch Schwartzman deal with them soon, as the flick will be available to stream for those with an Amazon Prime subscription starting Dec. 3rd.

Elf on the Shelf may have started from a sweet place, but one thing is certain: neither Schwartzman nor I would want these little scouts lurking around our house during the holidays.

The time for Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso being in upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows may have likely passed, considering both the characters’ fates in the universe, but the actors did get to link up earlier this week! During the premiere for Jones’ new movie, Train Dreams, she had her first chance to meet the Star Wars legend, and her reaction was the best.

Jones' next film, Train Dreams, which she stars in alongside Joel Edgerton, will be available for those with a Netflix subscription later this month. Edgerton is also part of the Star Wars Universe, given he played Owen Lars in the prequel trilogy and returned for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Apparently, Edgerton and Ford are good friends, and the former invited the Han Solo actor to the Los Angeles premiere. After Jones met Ford on Monday night, here’s what she told Variety:

Edgerton directed Harrison Ford in an ad campaign for Glenmorangie Scotch Whisky, and the pair have apparently become close since. It offered Felicity Jones a rare opportunity to meet one of the original actors in Star Wars. As Jones added during the red carpet interview:

How sweet is this reaction from Felicity Jones? The 42-year-old British actress shared that Harrison Ford was actually a really big influence on her while making Rogue One back in 2015. While Jyn and Han never get to cross paths in the Star Wars storyline, Jyn is very influential to Han’s journey in the original movies since she and her team die to make sure the Death Star plans are delivered to Princess Leia. Without Jyn, Han Solo would have never become the hero that he is.

When Edgerton spoke at the Train Dreams premiere about inviting his buddy Harrison Ford, he said that it felt “very special” to see him there supporting the film. He apparently invited Ford specifically because he felt the 83-year-old Hollywood legend might connect to the movie’s plotline about a laborer developing the U.S. railroad while dealing with loss in his family. The actor said Ford “lives out in the wilderness in Wyoming and he’s very connected to nature.”

The movie is among upcoming book adaptations too, given it's based on a 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson that was actually a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. You can see Felicity Jones and Joel Edgerton in select theaters this Friday, November 7, and over on Netflix on November 21.

Back when I first watched the 2014 film, The Theory of Everything, besides just thinking it was a good movie, I – like many others, I assume – merely thought of it as “The Stephen Hawking Movie.”

And, why shouldn't I? Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Hawking in the film, won an Academy Award for his performance, and the movie details how he came up with many of the theories that made him a household name. In every way, even though the title was The Theory of Everything, the focus was purely on Hawking.

At least, that's what I initially thought. But, upon a rewatch, I found it to be so much more than just that. Unlike many films and TV shows that leave me feeling like something is just missing when concerning stories about the disabled, I feel that The Theory of Everything handles it with nuance. Not just for the person who is disabled, but also for the people in his life. Let me explain.

Watching The Progression Of Hawking's Disability Reveals That It Could Happen To Anybody

One of my former coworkers (I’m a teacher outside of writing for this website) had a husband who had Lou Gehrig's Disease, which is also known as ALS. Knowing that it was such a sensitive subject, I gathered the courage one day to ask her how he was doing, and she told me that it was a struggle every day.

It was hard asking her since I had never heard of anybody having ALS before, so I knew so little about it. Then the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral, and it seemed like everybody was talking about the rare disease. This raised a great deal of awareness nationwide, but it also made me realize that anybody could get it, even me, since it’s still not entirely known what causes it.

So, having this information stored away in my brain, I rewatched The Theory of Everything with a new sense of awareness. At the beginning of the film, Stephen Hawking seems to have it all. He’s already a genius at Cambridge – though he’s struggling to come up with a thesis – he’s dating a beautiful woman (Played by Felicity Jones, whose determination in this film is surprisingly not too different from Jyn Erso from my favorite Star Wars movie, Rogue One), and he has a good circle of friends.

But then, he starts losing control of his balance, and he receives the diagnosis of having MND (Motor Neuron Disease – which is ALS here in the States). His brain will still function, sure, but his body will deteriorate, and possibly rapidly. They give him two years to live.

Now, here you have this genius whose mind can imagine how the universe came to be, and yet, there’s nothing he can do about his disability. As the movie continues, his MND gets progressively worse (Though he lives long past the two-year life expectancy), until he’s in a wheelchair and can’t even verbally speak anymore. And yet, he never lets it deter him from greatness. Even so, this movie teaches that nobody is immune to illness. It’s a sobering thought, but a very real one.

It Is Also Intriguing To Watch How People Respond To His Disability

When I first watched this movie, I was mainly focused on Stephen Hawking. However, while I rewatched it, I focused a great deal on the other people around Hawking and how they responded to his disease.

For instance, in the scene where Hawking receives his diagnosis from the doctor (Played by Adam Godley), you get a sense that the doctor is doing his best to deliver the news that Hawking will die young, but also a sense that the doctor is well aware that there is nothing he can do about it, so it’s delivered like he’s already talking to a dead man.

When Hawking later goes to discuss his thesis while using dual canes, the first question he is asked is whether he would like to take a seat, which he declines, only to be asked again.

This is something I notice in my own behavior whenever I find myself around somebody in a wheelchair. I run to the door and open it for them, and they say thank you. Still, I always wonder what impression I’m giving, and if they would prefer that I didn’t do this and would rather just open the door for themselves. They probably get this all the time, and I hope that they don’t view my desire to help as a sign that I don’t think they’re able to do it themselves. I would hate that.

But, back to the movie. In a later scene, we see Hawking struggling to speak, and it’s almost like people are talking around him, as if he’s both in the room, but also not in the room. This was actually harder for me to watch a second time since I could only imagine how Stephen Hawking must have felt as his wife discussed his theories to somebody else for him. It’s a really powerful movie, especially when, as I mentioned earlier, ALS could happen to anybody. But, about Hawking’s wife…

His Wife's Effort To Come To Grips With His Struggle Feels Universal

Now, even though the movie is adapted from the memoir, Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen, which was written by his ex-wife, Jane Hawking, I’ve read that the film takes some creative liberties…and doesn’t entirely give his wife a fair shake. Be that as it may, I really only have the movie to go off of since I haven’t read the memoir, and the Jane in this film handles Hawking’s ALS much in the same way that I imagine my former coworker did.

By that, I mean being as supportive as humanly possible. Because all throughout the film, Jane does her best for her husband. She marries him, even despite knowing his diagnosis, and has children with him, even though he could die at any time. When a doctor gives her a way out and says that they can disconnect him from a ventilator, she refuses.

She even comes up with a way for him to communicate once he loses the ability to speak verbally. It almost reminds me of the Brian Wilson movie, Love & Mercy, in that the woman in Brian’s life, Melinda Ledbetter, seemed to move Heaven and Earth to get her partner out of the slump he found himself in amidst overwhelming odds.

Then, Hawking has an affair with his nurse, and his wife, who says she “did her best,” goes back to a man named Jonathan (played by Daredevil’s Charlie Cox), whom she also loves. You really do feel that Jane did everything possible for Stephen. After a while, she became more caregiver than wife, and both she and Stephen recognized that their relationship had gone down that route.

I knew Felicity Jones did a great job the first time I watched this movie (She did get nominated for an Oscar, after all), but it was only upon this second viewing that I truly saw that this is just as much her story as it is Stephen’s.

Seeing The Great Things That He Accomplished Is Reaffirming That People Will Always Be More Than Their Disability

Lastly, if there’s any final takeaway from this film, it’s that you can be diagnosed with a terminal, terrifying disease, and still change the world, which is extremely reaffirming.

I think back to the ice bucket challenge, and how it grew so big that even celebrities started doing it. It all started from a humble place, as Anthony Senerchia, who has unfortunately since passed, was diagnosed with ALS, and he and his wife got the ball rolling on getting people to start talking about the disease.

As I said earlier, I only knew one person who knew another person who had ALS, but in 2014 (Which was the same year The Theory of Everything came out) it seemed like everybody was talking about it, and it mostly sprung up because of a husband who had the disease, and a wife who wanted others to know, and possibly help.

And this movie also proves that a person who has a disability is always more than just their disability. Yes, it is a part of who they are, but it is not ALL they are. Stephen Hawking is world-renowned, and he did most of it from his wheelchair.

In the end, it’s a story about overcoming the odds that might exist even inside of you, and still prevailing. That’s a message that I think anybody can learn from.

Doctor Who is a British institution, and while it’s made household names of the actors who take on the mantle of The Doctor, it’s also cast many stars in guest roles. So, with that in mind, we took a journey through the iconic modern era run of the beloved BBC show, and found 32 famous actors who played a minor role in this time lord’s journey. 

Jonathan Bailey

While we know and love Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton on one of Netflix’s best series, Bridgerton, and as Fiyero in the Wicked cast, you might not be aware that he was in Season 8 of Doctor Who in the episode “Time Heist.” He starred alongside Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, playing the hacker Psi. 

Brett Goldstein

Brett Goldstein appeared in the Season 11 episode “The Tsuranga Conundrum '' alongside Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. During the episode that saw The Doctor and co. stuck on a spaceship while an enemy tries to destroy it, and the Emmy-winning actor played the head nurse Astos. Then, two years later, Goldstein became a household name when he joined the Ted Lasso cast as the beloved grouchy player-turned-coach Roy Kent. 

Carey Mulligan

Before Carey Mulligan starred in movies like Drive, Promising Young Woman and Maestro, she played the young Sally Sparrow in the Season 3 episode “Blink.” Not only is this episode one with some of Doctor Who’s best quotes, but it’s also one of the most iconic stories in the show’s history as David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor took on the Weeping Angels. 

Olivia Colman 

In one of Doctor Who’s best episodes, and Matt Smith’s first as the Eleventh iteration of the time lord, Olivia Colman played “Mother,” a woman who is taken over by Patient Zero in “The Eleventh Hour.” After that, the actress, of course, went on to win an Oscar for The Favourite, and she starred in various other successful projects including the film The Lost Daughter, and the series Broadchurch and The Crown. 

James Corden

Long before James Corden was hosting The Late Late Show, he guest starred in two of Matt Smith’s episodes as his pal and flatmate Craig, most notably in the Season 5 episode “The Lodger.” 

Andrew Garfield

He may be best known as The Amazing Spider-Man and for films like The Social Network and Tick, Tick…Boom! but before all that, Andrew Garfield starred alongside David Tennant in two Doctor Who episodes, “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks.” He played Frank, a boy who gets the Doctor to help get rid of the Daleks. 

Bill Nighy 

In one of the most moving episodes of Doctor Who, “Vincent and The Doctor,” Bill Nighy plays Dr. Black, who works at the museum where Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait is held. Before starring in the emotional Matt Smith-led episode all about the aforementioned painter, Nighy was best known for movies like Love, Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean. Since then, he’s been in films including About Time, Emma. and Living, which he got an Oscar nomination for. 

Daniel Kaluuya

You know Daniel Kaluuya? That’s right, the star of Jordan Peele’s movies Get Out and Nope and the man who won an Oscar for Judas and The Black Messiah. Well, before all of that, he played Barclay in Season 4 of Doctor Who in the episode “Planet of the Dead,” where he helped the Tenth Doctor fix an engine after a double-decker bus they were on got stuck in a very sandy place.  

Felicity Jones

Before she entered a galaxy far, far away in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or received her Oscar nomination for The Theory of Everything, Felicity Jones guest starred on Doctor Who. In 2008, she played Robina Redmond opposite the Tenth Doctor in the episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” which was a fun take on Agatha Christie and her mysteries. 

Ian McKellen

While you don’t see Sir Ian McKellen in Doctor Who, his voice is undeniable, as he was the man behind The Great Intelligence in Matt Smith’s 2012 Christmas special  “The Snowmen.” This special appearance was just another feather in this iconic British actor’s cap in the world of genre as he’s best known for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films as well as Magneto in the X-Men movies. 

Maisie Williams

Obviously, we know Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, an integral character in the Game of Thrones cast. However, she also starred in another series that’s considered a British institution when she appeared in four of Peter Capaldi’s Season 9 Doctor Who episodes – “The Girl Who Died,” “The Woman Who Lived,” “Face the Raven'' and “Hell Bent” – as Ashildr (AKA Me) the immortal Viking. 

Michael Gambon 

In Doctor Who’s 2010 Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol,” the Eleventh Doctor finds himself with a very Scrooge-like character named Kazran Sardick, played by the late Michael Gambon. The actor also played the antagonist’s father Elliot Sardick. Of course, before this, he also starred in another tentpole fantasy franchise by playing Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter movies. 

John Hurt 

In the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, John Hurt joined Matt Smith and David Tennant as a regeneration of the time lord named the War Doctor, who lived between the eighth and ninth versions of The Doctor. He was, of course, played by the late great John Hurt, who was known for iconic films like Alien and The Elephant Man. He was a legendary British actor, and he played a pivotal role in the long-running BBC series.

Gemma Chan

From the beloved and star-studded rom-com Crazy Rich Asians to Marvel’s The Eternals, Gemma Chan’s star has grown immensely over the last few years. However, before that, she played geologist Mia Bennett in the 2009 episode “The Waters of Mars” alongside David Tennant’s Doctor. 

Michael Sheen

David Tennant plays the demon to Michael Sheen’s angel in Good Omens, but before they shared the screen together, the Aziraphale actor voiced a House on the show that made his co-star a household name. During Matt Smith’s run as The Doctor during the episode “The Doctor’s Wife,” the actor known for Frost/Nixon and Masters of Sex voiced the evil entity that lived just outside the universe. 

Richard E. Grant

With over 140 credits to his name, including Gosford Park and Hudson Hawk, Richard E. Grant is a legendary British actor. In Doctor Who he played an equally iconic role as the antagonist Dr. Simeon in the Eleventh Doctor-led Christmas special “The Snowmen.” After that, the actor who played a variant of Loki in Marvel’s most timey-wimey show, returned to Dr. Simeon for the Season 7 episode “The Name of the Doctor.” 

Jonathan Groff

As one of the first big actors to guest star in Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Fifteenth Doctor, Jonathan Groff joined the cast for a Regency-era episode. Before making a brief appearance on Doctor Who, Groff made a name for himself on Broadway in shows including Merrily We Roll Along and Hamilton. He also voiced Kristoff in both Frozen films, and starred in David Fincher’s series Mindhunter. Talk about range. 

Stephen Fry

During the Thirteenth Doctor’s run, Stephen Fry played a role in the Season 12 episode “Spyfall" as C, the head of MI6. An iconic character actor, Fry has over 190 credits to his name, and he is best known for films like Wilde and V for Vendetta. 

Simon Pegg

Long before he was choosing to accept missions with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movies and leading Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy – which is Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End – Simon Pegg guest starred on Doctor Who. He played The Editor in Season 1 of the modern era, and went up against Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth generation of the time lord. 

Kylie Minogue

Yes, you read that right, Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue, singer of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and “Chiggy Wiggy,” did star in a 2007 episode of Doctor Who titled “Voyage of the Damned.” During Season 4, she was featured alongside Tennant’s Doctor as Astrid, an alien waitress. 

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory played Rosanna in the 2010 Doctor Who episode “The Vampires of Venice.” The Peaky Blinders star joined Matt Smith’s Doctor as the leader of the Saturnyns. Along with the two iconic BBC shows, the actress also played Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies and starred in The Count of Monte Cristo. 

Toby Jones

In the episode “Amy’s Choice,” Toby Jones played the Dream Lord. This spooky villain that comes from the darker side of The Eleventh Doctor is another fun character in Jones’ cap, as he also voiced Dobby in the Harry Potter films and played Dr. Zola in the Captain America movies as well as Claudius Templesmith in The Hunger Games. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Joining the episode of the three-part 60th Anniversary special, Neil Patrick Harris played the Toymaker and witnessed the historic bi-generation. The How I Met Your Mother alum faced off against David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor as well as Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. 

Timothy Dalton

Yep, you read that right, James Bond was in Doctor Who too. Timothy Dalton – who played 007 in License to Kill and The Living Daylights – guest starred in the Tenth Doctor’s 2009 episodes “End of Time” parts one and two where he played The Narrator and Lord President Rassilon, the founder and first leader of The Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. 

Brian Cox

In “End of Time,” Brian Cox wasn’t seen on screen with David Tennant, however, you can hear him, because he voiced Elder Ood, who is of an alien race the Doctor works to protect. While you don’t see Cox physically in the episode, you can see him as the patriarch of the Succession cast, Logan Roy, and you can check out movies of his, including Troy and Manhunter. 

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright’s future is as the Black Panther, but prior to playing Shuri in the MCU and starring in other fun projects, she appeared in the Season 9 episode “Face the Raven” with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. In Doctor Who, she played Anahson, an orphan looking for her mother. 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

While Gugu Mbatha-Raw is best known for travelling through time and space as Ravonna Renslayer in Loki, she also played Tish Jones in four episodes of Doctor Who’s fourth season alongside David Tennant. The actress who played Martha’s sister in these episodes then went on to star in many films, including Belle, and series like The Morning Show. 

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

You likely know Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the kid from Love, Actually or from his work in The Maze Runner movies and The Queen’s Gambit. However, he also starred in a pair of Doctor Who episodes in Season 3 alongside David Tennant as Tim Latimer, a schoolboy from 1913.  

Alan Cumming

The host of The Traitors and star of The Good Wife, Alan Cumming starred as King James I in the Season 11 episode “The Witchfinders.” In the episode featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, this star of stage and screen played the king of a nation that was in the midst of a witch trial when the time lord showed up. 

Iain Glen

Iain Glen played Octavian in the 2010 Doctor Who episodes titled “The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone.” While the actor made a name for himself on Game of Thrones as Jorah, Daenerys’ protector, he was trying to protect his team and The Doctor from the Weeping Angels in this set of Matt Smith-led episodes. 

Anthony Head

Anthony Head played Rupert Giles in 123 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Uther Pendragon in 43 episodes of Merlin. He also portrayed the evil headmaster Lassar in one episode of Doctor Who – “School Reunion” – back in its second season alongside David Tennant. 

Jacob Anderson 

You likely remember Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm from Game of Thrones or Louis de Pointe du Lac in the series Interview with a Vampire. In the midst of all that, he joined Season 13 of Doctor Who for a recurring role as Vinder, a pilot and guardian who watches from Observation Outpost Rose and worked with the Thirteenth Doctor across seven episodes. 

As you can see, the list of actors who have made minor appearances on Doctor Who is long and wickedly impressive. From legendary actors like Ian McKellen and Olivia Colman and modern TV staples like Jonathan Bailey and Brett Goldstein, it’s hard to believe that all these folks aided (or tried to stop) The Doctor on their wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey journey through time and space, but they all did!

After over 40 years, Star Wars continues to thrive but, these days, it’s not dazzling audiences through its big-screen ventures quite as often. Right now, the storied franchise is holding our attention through its small-screen, live-action content. While The Mandalorian is holding down the fort at the moment, it’ll soon be joined by a host of other shows, including the Andor TV show on Disney+. The series will see the return of Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, who was first introduced in Star Wars: Rogue One. The rebel spy is more than deserving of his own series, but one could argue that there are other characters from the 2016 film that deserve the same treatment.

Andor is a prequel series that will focus on the title character’s adventures before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in which he bravely sacrificed himself alongside his comrades. One of the best things about Gareth Edwards’ film is that it included an eclectic cast of characters, with many possessing their own unique backstories. With this, Lucasfilm and Disney+ may want to consider reviving a few for their own TV spinoffs. So let’s take a look at some of the familiar faces that could follow in Cassian Andor’s footsteps and headline their own shows:

Jyn Erso

This is a pretty obvious one, but most would probably agree that Jyn Erso is a prime character to lead her own spinoff series. Played by the wonderful Felicity Jones, Jyn was orphaned at a young age and eventually became a child soldier and later a criminal. It was that latter life that would unintentionally get her on the radar of the Rebel Alliance, who she would ultimately aid in stealing the plans for the Death Star. Although Erso was the film’s main protagonist, there’s still much more to explore within her history.

Jyn’s checkered past is what makes her a strong candidate for a TV series, and seeing her years as an outlaw would be particularly interesting. Given her history, there’s no telling what kind things she saw or what kind of people she came into contact with in her time. Of course, there’s also the fact that Felicity Jones is great in the role, and it would be nice to have her back. And it just so happens that the Oscar-nominated actress would love to revive the character and wants to try some daring new things with Jyn as well. I, for one, am hoping she gets the chance to jump back into the galaxy far, far away.

Saw Gerrera

The Star Wars movies and TV shows have introduced an assortment of interesting characters over the years, but few have had as complex a journey as Saw Gerrera. Fans first met Saw in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in which he’s introduced as a young freedom fighter from Onderon. But by the time Forest Whitaker played the live-action iteration in Rogue One, he’d become an aged man leading a radicalized rebel group, which even includes child soldiers. Since then, the character has popped up in a number of places and is even set to appear on Andor.

Saw Gerrera is a Star Wars character that operates in a gray area, not unlike a Boba Fett. We can’t completely classify him as a villain, but he’s certainly not a total hero. In terms of a Disney+ show, it would be great to see Forest Whitaker return in a prequel that chronicles Gerrera’s evolution from noble revolutionary to callous radical. As a fan of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, I’d absolutely love to see this kind of series in the Star Wars universe, and Whitaker definitely has the acting chops to pull it off.

Orson Krennic

Now, to some, this may seem like an unexpected choice, but I would absolutely watch a series centered on Rogue One’s main antagonist. Sure, he’s another Imperial suit, albeit with a nice cape. Yes, he is smug and incredibly ruthless. We also can’t forget the fact that he was totally owned by Darth Vader when going to meet with the dark lord. Still, the idea of seeing more of the delightful Ben Mendelsohn being smug and ruthless and wearing a cape honestly sounds like fun.

In the grand scheme of things, Krennic plays an important role in the history of Star Wars, seeing as how he spearheaded the Death Star project. An ongoing series with the character may honestly be a bit much, but a limited series or even a special showing key aspects of his Death Star efforts leading up to Rogue One could be intriguing. The series could even dive deeper into his relationship with Mads Mikkelsen’s Galen Erso. Of course, this would all depend on whether Ben Mendelson would be willing to return and, if so, the actor would likely make the most his time in the spotlight.

Baze Malbus

Baze Malbus was another one of the characters introduced to the Star Wars universe through Rogue One. Jiang Wen’s gruff soldier was established as a former member of the Guardian of the Whills, a religious Force-based group, before he set off on his own as a freelance assassin. The character ultimately proved to be entertaining, but he unfortunately didn’t get too much time to shine. Luckily though, his intriguing backstory serves as prime fodder for a spinoff series.

While Baze Malbus was definitely the skeptic of the Rogue One group, his keen skills with a blaster and his intense loyalty to his allies endeared him to audiences. A prequel series could go one or two ways with Baze. On the one hand, you could focus on his time as a guardian though, in his case, it might be a bit more interesting to see him working as an assassin. Regardless, Jiang Wen deserves an opportunity to do more with Baze. Plus, his spinoff could even be a two-hander with his longtime ally, another character who could absolutely lead his own show.

Chirrut Îmwe

If a spinoff centered on the Guardians of the Whills were to be produced, then it would absolutely need to feature Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe. The blind spiritual leader, who was based on Jedha City, proved to be a keen warrior, but it was his calm demeanor and fierce commitment to the Force (despite not having abilities) that made him a compelling figure. Like longtime companion Baze Malbus and other Rogue One characters, Chirrut didn’t get enough screen time, so why not give him his own prequel?

The Guardians of the Whills have yet to truly be explored in the live-action realm of Star Wars, and a spinoff that explores Chirrut’s time with the order would be interesting. And as mentioned, such a project could also see Baze Malbus as co-lead. It’s a solid concept and one that’s especially exciting when you consider that it would bring the great Donnie Yen back into the franchise. Because let’s be honest, the veteran actor and martial artist is downright mesmerizing whenever he’s on screen.

There’s no telling whether Star Wars will bring back any of these characters for their own projects though, considering the number of spinoffs currently being produced, it’s certainly not impossible. But while we wait for any potential developments, we can take comfort in knowing that Andor will definitely arrive on Disney+ in 2022. And for more on what’s coming up in the immediate future, check out our 2021 fall TV schedule.

Felicity Jones knows a thing or two about literary adaptations. While many on this site likely know her best as Jyn Erso from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jones has built her career around successful translations of Brideshead Revisited, The Diary of Anne Frank, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Dan Brown’s Inferno. Her latest, screening on Netflix, is a lush adaptation of romance novelist Jojo Moyes’ The Last Letter From Your Lover, and it was while working on this feature that Jones finally got to use an acting trick she learned from none other than George Clooney. (Nice name drop!) Watch her tell the story in the video above.

The Last Letter From Your Lover takes place in two time frames, one contemporary and one set in the 1960s. Though you might assume that Felicity Jones holds down the flashback, that responsibility goes to her co-star Shailene Woodley (though they don’t share any scenes!). Instead, Jones plays a modern journalist working on a feature story and getting distracted by a personal mystery she is uncovering in a series of letters written between Jennifer Stirling (Woodley) and Anthony O’Hare (Callum Turner). And because she’s playing a journalist who is working a story, Jones often has to stare at a laptop or at a monitor in a newsroom and make the information she’s absorbing seem… well, interesting.

It’s a harder challenge than you might think, but it’s an exercise some performers seem to relish. There’s a line you need to balance when “prop acting,” as Jones describes it, because the actor isn’t looking at anything on the screen, but they have to sell progress of the story, or emotion that’s delivered with news that is shared. In one scene, Jones’ journalist character has to go back and forth between her cell phone and her computer screen, and I knew, in that moment, that I needed to ask her about her process on this.

To my surprise, she shared that George Clooney, of all people, taught her how to really sell prop acting. The two collaborated on the sci-fi drama The Midnight Sky (also for Netflix), and she had this to say about the tricks that he taught her:

The audience can indeed follow Felicity Jones to The Last Letter From Your Lover, a surprising and absorbing romantic mystery that’s directed by Augustine Frizzell. It’s available on the streaming service as we speak.

Star Wars fans, we’re at the dawn of a new era for a galaxy far, far away. After Rise of Skywalker concluded three generations of Skywalkers, Disney and Lucasfilm are building the universe across streaming and on the big screen, and I cannot wait. But before moving forward, it’s a solid time to appreciate our favorite Star Wars entries in recent memory. And I’m pleased to report I’m not the only one who is still gushing about Rogue One.

The 2016 movie took a step back from all the Skywalker drama to deliver a genuine war movie about how a ragtag group of rebels stole the Death Star plans before they were placed in R2-D2's care in A New Hope. Recently, out of nowhere, Rogue One just became a trending topic on Twitter if only for fans to remind each other of its excellence:

Does there really need to be a reason to gush about a great movie? It looks like the movie dominated the social conversation when a viral tweet asked Star Wars fans to make a choice between Force Awakens, Phantom Menace, Solo: A Star Wars Story or Rogue One. And I think we’ve found a winner here considering the resounding words of admiration that were immediately thrown toward Rogue One:

Before Rogue One, Star Wars had been explicitly tied to the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. And while Rogue One’s story is definitely part of the puzzle piece here, there was something refreshing about diving into the Star Wars world with Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso and Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor leading an impressive ensemble. Plus, it told a standalone story with a definite ending hat really grounded the Star Wars franchise in a new way.

Not only was it incredibly fun, but it had an effecting story. With each rewatch, it only gets better. And as one Twitter user pointed out, the production design of Rogue One was absolutely breathtaking:

And the way Gareth Edwards’ film got us attached to its characters with the constraints of their limited screen time? Also, unmatched! One fan used the trending topic to share his love for Riz Ahmed’s Bodhi Rook in Rogue One:

Rogue One is truly a standout Disney era Star Wars film and will hopefully inspire more filmmakers working with Lucasfilm to tell stories from different angles that prioritize good storytelling amidst the franchise's large-scale action and special effects. If you didn’t quite give it a chance before, I'd recommend to give it another pass now. This fan says it best:

What’s exciting is Rogue One fans will be getting a prequel to the film with Andor in 2022, a series that will focus on Cassian Andor’s adventures. And there does seem to be more of a focus on standalone Star Wars movies moving forward, including Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron.

Where does Rogue One rank for you against other Star Wars movies? Vote in our poll below and check out all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows coming our way.

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A good movie ending is a tricky thing, but it's something the Star Wars franchise have prided itself on throughout the years. The Empire Strikes Back's conclusion is easily one of the most shocking and expertly-crafted endings in cinematic history, and Revenge of the Sith’s epic finale was also incredibly memorable. But the most heartbreaking ending within the franchise obviously belongs to Rogue One, in which Felicity Jones and Diego Luna’s characters sadly die on Scarif in order to save the galaxy. And as it turns out, this bittersweet moment took a while to shoot.

The Rogue One cast filmed the heart-pounding finale in the Maldives back in 2015. Felicity Jones recently reflected on what went into filming that key moment in with these words:

When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Felicity Jones revealed that the Rogue One finale was actually shot every day for a week during sunset in order to get that beautiful glow that washes over Jones' Jyn Erso and Diego Luna's Cassian Andor before they meet their ends. The atmosphere of the moment is definitely amplified by the way the sunlight hits the pair during the ending and, now, we know just goes into finding that perfect shot:

Jones spoke about how “naturalistic” it was to film Rogue One, which clearly took some opportunities for practical effects and shots to match the ingenuity the classic Star Wars films displayed back before it was all about CGI. Rogue One most certainly had a load of visual effects, but they were done so impressively that they greatly convinced us it was shot in a practical environment (and sometimes it was).

An especially exciting aspect of the production of Rogue One was the fact that K-2SO was rendered by Industrial Light & Magic in real time, allowing the production to interact with the droid at the time it was being filmed. This was actually the first time that a production had ever attempted this. The 2016 movie is a major achievement, especially when you consider that Disney actually allowed all of the main characters to die. That was totally off brand in the best way.

Rogue One's legacy will continue through a Disney+ prequel show starring Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor and Alan Tudyk's K-2SO. Production is currently underway in London ahead of a 2022 premiere. Following the success of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm has a ton of Star Wars television shows in the works and a couple movies in development as well, including Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron and a film being adapted from an idea Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige developed.

Stick with us here on CinemaBlend for more dispatches from a galaxy far, far away.

How can you tell if a Netflix movie is a hit? The streaming service keeps its viewing data private, so we can’t track a movie like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom or Mank the way that we’d follow the progress of a movie that has a traditional movie-theater opening. Box office figures don’t exist for Netflix. But every once in a while, data comes out on a title that suggests its connecting with a larger audience, and that seems to be the case with George Clooney’s latest directorial effort, The Midnight Sky.

Netflix has awards aspirations for George Clooney’s latest film, in which he also stars as a survivor of an undisclosed apocalyptic event who has made it his mission to warn a team of returning astronauts that our planet is no longer habitable. Deadline recently did some digging into the performance stats of a slew of titles that Netflix dropped in December, hoping to gain some awards traction, and found out that Clooney’s The Midnight Sky was viewed by an estimated 72 million homes in its first four weeks, a number that would be good enough for becoming one of the streamer’s “biggest-ever films,” according to Deadline.

Additionally, it’s sounding like The Midnight Sky is finding a global audience. Deadline’s reporting states that the movie reached the No. 1 slot on Netflix in 77 different countries, and cracked the top 10 ranking in 93 countries, showing that the combination of sci-fi thriller and end-of-the-world extinction drama works on audiences from diverse backgrounds.

The movie certainly has star power. George Clooney casts himself in the lead role of the lone survivor who ends up, through unusual circumstances, having to care for a little girl (played by expressive newcomer Caoilinn Springall). But the astronauts on the ship consist of heavy-hitter actors such as Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demain Bichir and Tiffany Boone. In a funny twist, though, Clooney ended up telling CinemaBlend that it was Springall who made her A-list cast members look bad. Here’s why:

It’s easy to understand why a title like The Midnight Sky is performing well on Netflix. The majority of us remain stuck at home during the most recent holiday season, and often were looking for a distraction from our day to day. The movie has a little bit of something for every type of audience, and so I could see people checking it out and sticking with it. The Netflix model will be interesting to track in 2021 as movies try to find their way back to theaters, but other streaming services like HBO Max also bring high-powered titles such as Wonder Woman 1984 to homes. It’s a brave new world. How are you finding your way through it?

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As far as film franchises go, there are none quite as iconic as Star Wars. Entire generations were brought up on the galaxy far, far away, and the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm the property began to grow, including standalone movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. And now star Felicity Jones has spoken about returning to play her role Jyn Erso sometime in the future.

Felicity Jones led the cast of Rogue One as Jyn Erso, who was tasked with stealing the plans for the original Death Star and relaying that to the rebels. While the character sacrificed herself to make that mission into a reality, Jones seems interested in reprising the role sometime in the future. The 37 year-old actor spoke to the possibility to returning by saying:

Well, that's certainly an idea. Despite Jyn Erso's death at the end of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it looks like Felicity Jones is still interested in seeing her signature in her later years. It's just unclear exactly how that would work with the current official timeline.

Felicity Jones' comments to THR highlights her interest in reprising her Rogue One role sometime in the future. While the events of the movie might prevent this from occurring, that hasn't stopped the actress from theorizing about what her second appearance in the space opera might look like. We'll just have to see if this ever comes to fruition.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is available on Disney+ alongside the Skywalker Saga. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While Felicity Jones isn't currently on the cast, Rogue One's characters and settings will get more life thanks to Disney+'s upcoming live-action series focusing on Diego Luna's Cassian Andor. Fans are eager to see the character return for the small screen, but fans are also left wondering if any more members of the ill-fated team might pop up in that mysterious show.

Later in her same interview, Felicity Jones also addressed how her character's death might affect her odds at returning to the Star Wars franchise-- especially as an older version of Jyn Erso. As the actress went on to explain,

Touche. The Star Wars franchise has been known for bringing back dead characters, mostly through Force Ghosts. And while Jyn Erso wasn't trained in the ways of the Jedi, Felicity Jones seems to believe that it's plausible for her Rogue One character to pop back up sometime in the future. We'll just have to wait and see if/when that happens.

Since the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars is currently taking a break from its time in theaters. While there's no indication as to when the galaxy far, far away will return to the big screen, the franchise will continue to be expanded on the small screen. Disney+'s The Mandalorian just returned for Season 2, while the Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi shows are in development.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Star Wars as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

After Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on Friday, September 18, tributes to her life and her impact poured in from around the globe. While many celebrities and public figures sent their condolences in the wake of the news, one with an especially personal connection to the Supreme Court Justice also weighed in. Felicity Jones, who portrayed Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a biopic, offered her unique insights into her legacy.

Felicity Jones’ portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg earned her positive reviews when On The Basis of Sex was released in 2018. And it’s clearly a role she kept close to her heart. In a statement to TODAY, she offered her thoughts on the late justice’s life and legacy:

Felicity Jones’ statement is clearly heartfelt and, in many ways sums up how all those who mourn her feel. It’s understandable why she would feel a deep connection to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, too. On The Basis of Sex told the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s early life as a law student and her struggles to begin a career. The film shows her having to change her career plans after graduation because few law firms wanted to hire women as lawyers in the 1960s.

After she was unable to find employment as a lawyer, despite being one of the best in her class at Harvard Law School, she first became a law professor. However, she eventually found a way into legal practice and focused her attention on challenging laws that discriminated against women.

While On The Basis of Sex only covers a small portion of her life, the film illuminates the pivotal role she played in defending gender equality early in her career. It wasn’t the only film made about the legal icon’s life. In the same year, the documentary RBG was released. It, too, detailed the Supreme Court Justice’s career trajectory and highlighted the impact she’s had on the American criminal justice system as the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton. She was one of the most senior members on the bench, and known for delivering progressive stances on many pivotal cases surrounding issues of equality and discrimination. She died in Washington D.C. due to complications from pancreatic cancer. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was 87 years old.

For nearly 60 years, Doctor Who has remained a staple of British television. The series, centered around an extraterrestrial Time Lord known as The Doctor who flies around in his time-traveling police box, the TARDIS, with several different human companions and in several different incarnations, is beloved by many and a series with the convenience of being rebooted constantly for new generations and times. Therefore, over the course of its very extensive run, several famous actors (and soon-to-be famous actors) have worked on the sci-fi show. With a cast that included hundreds of actors over the course of several decades, it's understandable if you forgot that these familiar faces once appeared on the program. Therefore, let's get in our own mini TARDISes (or however you pluralize the word TARDIS) and go back through the show's long history and recall who once appeared on Doctor Who.

Andrew Garfield

Before he played Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge, or Peter Parker/Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, Andrew Garfield was a rising British talent who branched out in a big way when he appeared in two Season 3 episodes of Doctor Who. In the popular sci-fi series, Garfield played the part of Frank, an intelligent-but-poor young man living in New York City in 1930, during the Great Depression, who helped the Doctor fight against the dreaded Daleks in their attempt to destroy the world in "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution Of the Daleks."

Felicity Jones

Before she became an Oscar nominee through her performance in 2014's The Theory of Everything, and before she was seen in a galaxy far, far away in 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Felicity Jones could be seen in Doctor Who's Season 4, Episode 7, "The Unicorn and the Wasp." In this installment, Jones played Robina Redmond, a.k.a. Ada Mullins, a.k.a. "The Unicorn," a cockney master jewelry thief who is later questioned by the Doctor and Agatha Christie. This 2008 episode of the series might've served as some viewers' introduction to the actress before she became a big star.

Simon Pegg

An actor/screenwriter best known for his work in the Cornetto trilogy — Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End — as well as his roles in the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible cinematic franchises, Simon Pegg is an exceptional talent who has established himself in a number of nerd-friendly properties. Suffice to say, it shouldn't be a shock to know that in 2005, just a year after Shaun of the Dead became a cult favorite around the world, he made an appearance in Doctor Who. 

Specifically, he was seen in Episode 7 of Season 1 as the sinister The Editor in "The Long Game," a role that was notably different than what audiences saw from the Shaun of the Dead and Spaced actor prior. Hell, it's more cold-blooded than the characters we are used to seeing from the affable actor today. It was another showcase of Pegg's undervalued versatility, proving once more how vast his talents are.

Olivia Colman

Before she became an Oscar-winning actress through her fantastic performance in The Favourite, and well before she took over the leading role on Netflix's The Crown, Olivia Colman was a hard-working character actress who certainly accredited a number of movies and television shows to her name throughout the years. One such show was Doctor Who, where Colman played a mother and a form of Patient Zero in the first episode of Season 5, "The Eleventh Hour." 

It'd certainly be understandable if you forget that Colman was in the show, though. She played such a small part, her character didn't even have a name. Furthermore, Olivia Colman's name was even misspelled in the credits, calling her "Olivia Coleman." Admittedly, showrunner Steven Moffat claims they "wasted" the award-winning actress by giving her such a small role through this guest star appearance. It's safe to say that things worked out for the actress, though. In addition to this minor part in the proceedings, Colman read the audiobook version of The Forgotten Army.

James Corden

Nowadays, James Corden has made a splash stateside through The Late Late Show with James Corden and Carpool Karaoke, but the actor/television personality first grew prominence in the U.K., and it shouldn't be a shock to know that he starred in an episode of Doctor Who. Specifically, Corden can be seen in Episodes 11, "The Lodger," and 12, "Closing Time," of Season 6, where he played the role of Craig Owens, a man who rented a room to the Doctor and later helped him defeat the Cybermen. In return, the Doctor helped Craig confess his feelings to his friend, Sophie. 

During his time on the show, Craig and Doctor Who shared a close and personal friendship. While not quite as known in the U.S. back in 2010, James Corden was quite a big name in Britain on both the telly and on the stage when these episodes aired. So, in that sense, Corden was considered a big guest star for the series.

Carey Mulligan

Before she became an Oscar-nominated actress for An Education, and appeared in movies like Never Let Me Go, Shame, The Great Gatsby, and Inside Llewyn Davis, Carey Mulligan could be seen in the 2007 Doctor Who episode, "Blink." In the Season 3, Episode 10 installment of the popular science-fiction series, Mulligan played Sally Sparrow, a photographer in London who encountered the Weeping Angels and indirectly helped Doctor Who in a mission. It came a curious time in Mulligan's career. It was shortly after she grew prominence for 2005's Pride and Prejudice but a couple years before the actress would become a household name through her Oscar-nominated lead performance in the aforementioned Best Picture-nominated 2009 drama, An Education.

Daniel Kaluuya

Before he became an Oscar-nominated actor made famous for his leading role in Jordan Peele's excellent Get Out, as well as stellar performances in Widows, Black Panther, and, most recently, Queen & Slim, Daniel Kaluuya had a prominent role in the Doctor Who episode, "Fifteen Million Merits," as Bingham "Bing" Madsen. In the Season 1, Episode 2 installment, Kaluuya served as the protagonist of the episode, which means that for many Doctor Who fans, this installment likely served as their introduction to the rising talent — a nice glimpse at his great acting talents years before he made it big.

Kylie Minogue

The Australian actress/musician known for constantly reinventing herself, Kylie Minogue fans have seen the artist take her career in a number of places. One such destination was the set of Doctor Who, where Minogue played Astrid Peth in the Season 4 premiere, "Voyage of the Damned." In her time in the show, Minogue played a native of the planet Sto who worked as a waitress for the ill-fated Titanic. She was nearly a companion for the Doctor. The actress/musician keeps busy with a variety of different projects, music-related and otherwise. This Doctor Who role only became a limited engagement.

Tom Ellis

Before he played the devil incarnate in Lucifer, Tom Ellis appeared in Doctor Who as Thomas Milligan, a doctor who worked for the NHS in 2008, i.e. the Year That Never Was, in "Last of the Time Lords," the 13th episode of Season 3. While he was referenced or alluded to again in a few other later episodes, this episode was his one and only role in Doctor Who (for now, at least). 

He played this part before he became a household name through his leading role in Lucifer, and there have been some fans eager to see Ellis play the part of Doctor Who in a future incarnation. Both Joe Henderson, the co-showrunner of Lucifer, and Ellis himself have responded to this request.

Nick Frost

Like his Cornetto trilogy co-star and frequent collaborator Simon Pegg, Nick Frost also made an appearance in Doctor Who. Specifically, Frost played Santa Claus in the 12th Season 8 episode, "Death in Heaven," and in the 2014 Christmas special, "Last Christmas." The former was used as a lead-in to the latter, as the 10th annual holiday episode saw Kris Kringle and Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) teaming up to save the North Pole from dream crabs.

Who are some other famous actors that people forget played a part in Doctor Who's long, long, long run on television? Let us know in the comments!

In director Tom Harper’s The Aeronauts, which is in limited release now before dropping on Amazon Prime later in the month, Felicity Jones plays a hot air balloon pilot who embarks on a death-defying mission. Of course it’s not the first time she has played a headstrong character with a dangerous assignment. The Oscar-nominated actress notably starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. While that film was only a standalone, Rogue One’s Felicity Jones would love to play Jyn Erso again. When asked about the possibility, she said:

Although her character’s fate (see: vaporized) in Rogue One makes such a possibility unlikely (though not impossible), Felicity Jones would love the opportunity to play Jyn Erso again-- as she told Business Insider. Despite all of the reshoots and whatnot, the actress seems to have really had a great time making the first, and to date only successful, Star Wars anthology film and would be totally onboard for another go round.

Felicity Jones really liked the character of Jyn Erso and it seems that playing her was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. So if the opportunity to revisit that came around, Felicity Jones wouldn’t say no. Of course the problem with that is that such an opportunity seems improbable given the fact that she perishes on Scarif at the end of Rogue One, with the suicide mission to obtain the Death Star plans proving to be just that.

Despite Jyn Erso having died completing her mission, Felicity Jones thinks suggests a possibility she could return. The actress proposes a possible reincarnation for the daughter of the J. Robert Oppenheimer of the galaxy far, far away. To date we’ve not really seen reincarnation as a part of the Star Wars universe, although the return of Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may alter our perception of what’s possible.

So far in Star Wars, characters never come back to life, but they can return from death to the land of the living as Force Ghosts. Unfortunately for Jyn Erso, she was not a Force user, making this possibility unlikely.

However, Jyn Erso’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story counterpart Cassian Andor is coming back. Diego Luna will be reprising his role as the Rebel spy in an as-yet-untitled series on Disney+ set before the events of Rogue One. Now on the surface this might be an obvious place for Felicity Jones to get to play Jyn Erso again, but it wouldn’t really make sense.

When Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor meet in Rogue One, it’s for the first time. So seeing them go on missions together pre-Rogue One wouldn’t fit with existing continuity. However, the time period after her father Galen Erso’s capture might be fun to explore. We know that after Saw Gerrera rescued her, Jyn Erso was trained as a rebel fighter and child soldier in his army. Later when they abandoned her, she became a criminal.

This would be an interesting time period to explore but even wouldn’t really work in the Cassian Andor series if you jumped back and forth between his perspective and hers, because the two would never meet. Plus she's supposed to be much younger during that period.

Still, there is more to discover about Jyn Erso in the comics, books and other ancillary Star Wars materials. As for Felicity Jones, she’s got a pretty full plate film-wise, but maybe she could return to Star Wars as an alien at some point.

You can see Felicity Jones in The Aeronauts, in limited release now and dropping on Amazon Prime on December 20. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what is headed to theaters next year.

While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was supposed to set up a larger world for Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker, the movie underperforming resulted in Sony abandoning that continuity and striking up an alliance with Marvel to feature a new Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Among the scrapped ideas as a result of this decision was that Felicity Jones’ Felicia Hardy could become The Black Cat, just like in the comics. Nevertheless, Jones is still keen on reprising Felicia within the MCU, saying:

Felicia Hardy’s potential turn to the Black Cat life definitely wasn’t teased in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as her role in that movie was limited to being Harry Osborn’s assistant and later telling Harry that she’d overheard that the special spider venom was being kept in the Special Projects division of OsCorp. This year marks half a decade since The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s release, and during that time Felicity Jones has become a more famous actress thanks to her performances in The Theory of Everything, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and On the Basis of Sex. Still, she made it clear to Yahoo Movies that if the opportunity came along, she’d appreciate getting to reprise Felicia Hardy and actually showcase the character’s duality.

It’s not often that an actor gets to play the same character in two different continuities of the same franchise (Judi Dench being M in the James Bond movies comes to mind), and as far as the MCU goes, I suspect that if Felicia Hardy were to be included, Felicity Jones wouldn’t be called to play the role. Assuming she and Spider-Man were to have some kind of relationship, the Marvel executives would presumably want someone closer to Tom Holland’s age, not to mention allowing more freedom with putting a different spin on Felicia.

However, Sony also has its own, separate live action Spider-Man universe going, albeit without the Wall-Crawler actually involved. Venom kicked off this new franchise last October, and in addition to the symbiote-powered anti-hero returning for a sequel, Morbius the Living Vampire is also slated for release. There were also plans for Black Cat and Silver Sable to appear in a movie together, but it was announced last summer that these characters would instead lead their own separate movies. If Sony wants some star power on its side, perhaps it could talk with Felicity Jones about leading the Black Cat movie. Whether that movie were to confirm that this Spider-Man universe exists in the same continuity as The Amazing Spider-Man movies or not, at least this would be a good chance for Jones to properly suit up as Black Cat and fight some bad guys.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest Spider-Man-centric film news. You can see Tom Holland’s version of Web-Head later this year in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a true icon. There are few women in history who have done more for gender equality at such a high level, and her legacy will forever be as a world-changer. She is a remarkable and inspirational figure, and that status was given appropriate big screen attention in 2018 with both a documentary, Betsy West and Julie Cohen's RBG, and a narrative feature, Mimi Leder's On The Basis Of Sex. But while the former did an awesome job covering the incredible scope and span of Ginsberg's life and career, sparked by a great, fun energy, the latter doesn't quite reach the same heights, coalescing as simply a solid and serviceable biopic, but not really anything special.

Based on an original screenplay by Daniel Stiepleman -- who happens to be Ruth Bader Ginsberg's nephew -- On The Basis Of Sex primarily centers on the early years of its subject's career, making her way through law school and then arguing one of the most significant cases of her early years as lawyer: 1972's Moritz v. Commissioner Of Internal Revenue.

Despite facing some rather extreme sexism from professors and department heads, not to mention raising an infant daughter and helping her husband, Martin (Armie Hammer), continue his law studies following a cancer diagnosis, Ginsberg (Felicity Jones) begins the story successfully graduating at the top of her class -- but unable to find work because no firm takes her seriously due to her gender. This rejection leads to a short-lived teaching career, becoming a professor at Rutgers Law School, but also the discovery of a certain niche: the relationship between the law and gender discrimination.

Her work in this area eventually leads to her discovering the story of Charles Moritz (Chris Mulkey), a single man in Denver, Colorado who finds himself unable to receive a tax deduction for nursing care for his mother because the code was specifically created for women, with the assumption that they take care of the house and family while men work. Understanding the extra difficulties that would come with trying to argue against gender bias with a female plaintiff, Ginsberg takes on the case in an attempt to establish an important precedent that would allow for the challenging of any standing law that discriminates on the basis of sex.

It's a challenging legal road to tread, particularly with "allies" like the ACLU's Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux) -- a sexist in his own right working on Ruth Bader Ginsberg's team -- but with a real understanding of society's evolution, and great determination she makes her case to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and begins a career that would eventually see her start to make significant changes in the American legal system, and set her on a path to the Supreme Court.

There is no denying the significance of the subject matter here, which is both well performed and well shot, but it's also not exactly material that pops, or is super engaging. It's certainly rough to see the unabashed sexism that Ruth Bader Ginsberg had to deal with on a daily basis, and it's effectively jarring, and there is certainly real passion exhibited for the cause -- but the film does also somewhat suffer just from the nature of the story on which it chooses to focus. It's easy to understand why this particular point in Ginsberg's life was chosen for highlighting, as it was a landmark case that jumpstarted her career, but there is also very good reason why most courtroom dramas don't center on legal arguments about the tax code.

What helps to elevate the material is a wide collection of impressive performances from the movie's talented ensemble, with Felicity Jones being the standout that she should be. On The Basis Of Sex opens with her as one of nine women in a Harvard Law School class of about 500, and but she immediately demonstrates Ginsberg's renowned strength of character, and it's fortitude that is prominently on display through Jones' entire performance.

She has a great back up system as well, though, including the affable and ever-supportive Marty -- who Armie Hammer plays with every ounce of his charm. And even though there are some pretty vile things spilling out of their mouths at a regular rate throughout the film, credit must also be given to Justin Theroux and Sam Waterston (as the dean of Harvard Law) for fully and effectively demonstrating the very real discrimination that Ginsberg had to fight so hard against.

Mimi Leder and the various production departments also deserve notice, as On The Basis Of Sex is certainly aesthetically beautiful -- from its elegant period production design and costuming, to the lush lighting and use of contrast to illuminate deep colors. In that way it's transportive, as you are certainly enveloped in the setting when you're not fully enveloped in the story, and it's also highlighted some wonderful scene construction, allowing Ruth Bader Ginsberg's presence to shine throughout in a noticeably mostly male-dominated world.

On The Basis Of Sex is surely a film that deserved to be made, and it is absolutely a great education about one of the most influential figures of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. At the same time, however, it's not a movie that ever really blows you back -- particularly if it's a story with which you are already familiar. It's worth seeing for the history and the performances, but is never as brilliant as its central subject.

As weird as it may seem, Ruth Bader Ginsberg had a big year on the silver screen in 2018. The Supreme Court justice was the center of two notable titles, albeit in two different mediums: the documentary RBG, and the biopic feature On The Basis Of Sex. It was funny to see them come out one after the other, but it begs the question: how should the two movies be watched together? Well, On The Basis Of Sex stars Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer, and writer Daniel Stiepleman have thoughts on that very subject, and recently shared them with me:

A few weeks ago, prior to the movie's limited release, I had the chance to participate in the Los Angeles press day for Mimi Leder's On The Basis Of Sex, and during my interviews with the actors and writer I asked them all the same question about RGB. They all had different responses, but the theme that was shared was that documentary is basically a sister-film.

For her part, Felicity Jones -- who stars in On The Basis Of Sex as Ruth Bader Ginsberg -- noted that the two features each have different goals simply because of their basic individual storytelling intentions. At the same time, though, they actually shared common ground in their research, as she explained:

When posed with the same question, Armie Hammer noted that while both On The Basis Of Sex and RGB explore the life of the same subject, they go about it in very different ways. Specifically, the latter is much bigger in its "coverage," telling the story of Bader Ginsberg's entire career to date. Meanwhile, not only does the former focus more specifically on a single important case, it also allows audiences so see more of her in her personal and intimate life -- particularly with his character, Marty Ginsberg. Said the actor,

The fact that the two movies have this difference in scope was actually something that Daniel Stiepleman appreciated -- even more so because it prevented any redundancies in the storytelling. The On The Basis Of Sex screenwriter pointed out that the court case that's central to the narrative of the film - Moritz v. Commissioner Of Internal Revenue -- isn't actually featured in RBG, and it allows it to act as a more in-depth "origin story" for the legendary lawyer/judge. In his own words,

So how should RBG and On The Basis Of Sex be watched together? In what order should one do a double feature? Daniel Stiepleman feels that it might be best to watch Mimi Leder's film first, but added a caveat for anyone who has already seen the documentary:

Also starring Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, and Kathy Bates, On The Basis Of Sex has been out in limited release for the last few weeks - but will very likely be heading to a theater near you this weekend as it expands into wide release. So find a copy of RBG, and get properly prepared for a perfect Ruth Bader Ginsberg movie marathon.

This year, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg celebrates 25 years of service on the highest court in the land. Seemingly in recognition of her distinguished and ongoing career, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has not one, but two movies about her hitting theater screens in 2018. The first is the already-released documentary RBG, and the second is the biopic On the Basis of Sex, starring Oscar nominee Felicity Jones. The latter has just released its first trailer and it teases a rousing true-life story of someone fighting for what they believe in. Check it out, below:

I have to say, a cheeky Jyn Erso "I rebel" wouldn't have felt too out of place in this trailer. From the visuals to the soundtrack, this trailer is certainly playing up feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight against a system that she saw as discriminatory towards women. The shots of Felicity Jones' character standing out in a sea of men reflect the imbalance she is hoping to correct. On the Basis of Sex looks like quite the interesting drama anchored by a defiant and fun performance from Felicity Jones. Regardless of your politics and whether or not you're a fan of RBG, stories about people fighting for what they believe in, whatever that is, against overwhelming odds can be truly inspiring that change can occur. This is especially the case when those stories are true.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has lived a fascinating life (that's probably why she has two movies about her this year), and this is the kind of story well suited for film. While you might expect a true story like this to be totally self-serious in tone, there is a bit of playfulness in this trailer. Felicity Jones' Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems a bit sassy, always willing to speak her mind. Maybe it's just the fact that it's a period piece, but I was reminded of Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

On the Basis of Sex also has many of the makings of a surefire Oscar contender. Biopics in general are traditionally awards fare, and a biopic about the second female Supreme Court Justice, who is a famously fiery dissenter in a year when a new Justice will be named has Oscars written all over it. Then, of course, there is the cast, which includes Oscar winner Kathy Bates, as well as Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux and Sam Waterston. And let's not forget Felicity Jones, who already received a Best Actress nomination for The Theory of Everything and could possibly notch another given the subject of this film.

On the Basis of Sex is directed by Mimi Leder and arrives in theaters on Christmas Day, just one of many big films opening in a positively stacked end-of-the-year slate. You can check out all of the biggest movies in the coming months in our release schedule. For all the latest trailers and movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

In 2015, Felicity Jones was nominated, and tipped as a moderately likely winner, for the Best Actress trophy at the Academy Awards. Unfortunately for her, that was the same year that Julianne Moore was nominated for her performance in Still Alice, and knowing our movie awards history, that was obviously the year where Moore triumphed. So naturally, Jones is more than likely looking for her next nomination and possible win. And she just may have found it, as she's signed on to play Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Jones has just joined On the Basis of Sex, a script that landed on the 2014 Black List, which involves the life and times of Ginsburg's fight for women's rights, which eventually landed her on the Supreme Court in 1993. Being named the second female justice, and the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life story is the sort of biopic awards judges look forward to.

In addition to the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, Chadwick Boseman is going to star in the role of a young Thurgood Marshall in the film simply titled Marshall. Should Marshall and On the Basis of Sex succeed, we just might see a sort of Supreme Court Cinematic Universe taking shape. It's pretty much assured that if Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life stories make box office and awards gold, there's a chance that other justices, such as Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia, will have their stories adapted for the screen in a bid for political balance. All the while, the awards judges will have their work cut out for them in all of the major acting categories.

While Deadline has reported On the Basis of Sex as being developed with Felicity Jones in the lead, the film doesn't have any concrete plans for production or release dates. Jones is still keeping busy though, as she's also signed onto a film adaptation of the famed ballet Swan Lake. Though whenever her role as Ruth Bader Ginsburg does hit theaters, it will more than likely be in the later months of the film's release year, just so the folks behind the film's production make sure they're night and exposed for the awards committees to make their potential nominations.

For now, if you want to see Felicity Jones in action, you can watch her in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which just hit Netflix's streaming service today. Meanwhile, Marshall will hit theaters on October 13th, just in time to take advantage of the early awards season window.

It's almost impressive how Collide goes from being a cinematic tale void of any originality or personality to being so mind-numbingly stupid that you spend as much time checking your watch as looking at the screen.

As you can probably guess from that brief summation, Collide is not an enjoyable experience. With the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Ben Kingsley, and Anthony Hopkins in its cast, it would be easy to lay the blame firmly at Eran Creevy's door, as he directed the film and co-wrote it with F. Scott Frazier, who also devised the story.

In Collide, Nicholas Hoult leads the way as Casey Stein, a small time drug dealer that works alongside Matthias (Marwan Kenzari) for the Turkish crime lord Geran (Ben Kingsley). But after making googly eyes with bartender Juliette (Felicity Jones), Hoult decides to pack in his devious ways for a romance with the woman of his dreams.

There's just one little problem, Juliette needs a kidney transplant, and after leaving his job, the duo are quite a way short of the €250,000 they need for the operation. Casey decides to briefly return to his life of crime for one big score, as he and Matthias concoct a plan for Geran to rob millions of Euros of cocaine from Hagen Kahl (Anthony Hopkins).

Despite the ensemble's obvious talents, they fail to paper over Collide's many, many cracks. Sure the script is so far from great that it's actually diabolical, but there's a distinct lack of chemistry between Nicholas Hoult and Felicity Jones, which isn't helped by their horrifically generic American accents, as they fail to provide the necessary backbone to the story.

The responsibility for this failure rests on Nicholas Hoult's shoulders. After Jack The Giant Slayer, Warm Bodies, Kill Your Friends, Equals, and now Collide it has become apparent that he lacks the innate qualities to be a leading man. Don't get me wrong, he still has skills. His supporting roles in X-Men, Mad Max: Fury Road, and A Single Man prove that. But like Zac Efron, he can't command your attention as the main presence of a film. Felicity Jones actually makes more of an impression during the second half of the film when she's on the phone with Hoult and not sharing the same shot, even though her screen-time is more than halved.

But while Hoult can't really be criticized for being miscast, especially as he gives it his all, you can heap disapproval on both Ben Kingsley and Anthony Hopkins for their efforts, which are frankly so bizarre that they should hand back their Academy Awards for Best Actor at once. Let's start with Kingsley, who was clearly given free reign to play an eccentric Turkish gangster. Yet he goes so over the top and is so ludicrous that at times he is incomprehensible, while you end up dismissing his character and performance as indulgence gone wild.

Somehow, Anthony Hopkins' performance is even more bizarre. Most of the time he barely looks as though he's breaking a sweat, or more likely is barely remembering his lines. Only to then randomly and peculiarly give aggressive emphasis to certain words as a way of showing that he's trying.

It doesn't help that F. Scott Frazier and Eran Creevy's script is a mishmash of elongated soliloquies, soap-opera style plotting, and clichéd characterization, all of which is under-laced with an aura of pretension that makes the film hard to root for.

There is actually a brief period when Collide threatens to be enjoyable, as Nicholas Hoult has to do a daring escape, which is quickly followed by two car chases through a sleepy German town and on the autobahn, respectively. At this point Creevy's over-the-top direction, especially when it comes to car pile-ups, actually brings an unexpected fun to proceedings.

But this goodwill is short-lived. The henchmen become too inept, while there's always something just within reach to get Casey out of trouble, who never even comes close to being hit by a bullet even though he's under attack for a good half an hour. Plus there's always seemingly a sports car waiting for him to depart, and I've never seen a character escape so many crashes with so few injuries. A constant level of entertainment would have allowed me to overlook these failings, but Collide never comes close to do enough to justify them.

Its biggest shortcoming is saved for its painful conclusion, though. That's because Collide isn't just a giant waste of time that only brings the worst out of the impressive cast, but it unforgivably takes an eternity to end and put you out of your misery. By the time the credits finally roll I had long been dreaming of my exit. Save yourself the hassle, and don't even bother making an entrance.

Spoilers ahead for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. Because besides the main installments which are slated to be released every two years, Disney has also introduced the use of standalone films, which will help to expand the galaxy far, far away. While this originally seemed like a risky experiment, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a massive box office success, while also faring extremely well with critics. The characters introduced have since been embraced by the fandom, who are disappointed to see that we'll likely never see them again on the silver screen.

But Felicity Jones has another idea. The actress, who led Rogue One as newcomer Jyn Erso, thinks that there may just be a way for her to return to the franchise. It's just a matter of how.

It looks like Jyn Erso's return is possible, it would just likely require some tricky storytelling. And however unlikely it is, Felicity Jones is down to clown in another installment of the iconic franchise.

This statement comes to us from HeyUGuys, who had the opportunity to speak with Felicity Jones about her upcoming movie Collide. And while she was likely kidding about her character being somehow reincarnated (she was blown to smithereens in the film's final moments), perhaps she latter suggestion is plausible. She could come back in the form of a hologram.

While we didn't see Jyn Erso record any sort of message during the events of Rogue One, perhaps she left The Rebellion with a final message of hope before her passing. Jyn was instrumental in inspiring The Rebellion gain a new fighting spirit and hope during the events of the film. And it worked, as she and her motley crew of rebels were able to steal the plans for the original Death Star and send it to The Rebels before their untimely deaths. News of Jyn's death would presumably send shockwaves into the organization, but a farewell message could help keep The Rebellion alive until Luke Skywalker shows up on the scene with Han and Leia.

But when could this hologram come into play? Perhaps in the main trilogy, as Rey and Finn have a bit of catching up to do with the rest of The Resistance. Maybe an old message from Jyn Erso could be seen in whatever records system they have, leading to a delightful cameo by Felicity Jones. Obviously I'm just spitballing, but it doesn't seem out of the question.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be available for home purchase on April 4.

Last night Saturday Night Live returned for its first episode of 2017, which saw Felicity Jones step into the position as host for the night. Coming in hot after the massive success of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, you knew that that the sketch show wouldn't hesitate to make plenty of Star Wars references. The episode certainly didn't disappoint, and came out the gate swinging with Rogue One characters appearing during Jones' opening monologue. Check it out below.

Felicity Jones was in a lot of movies last year, but even co-starring with Tom Hanks can't quite compare to Star Wars. Jones played Jyn Erso in the first Star Wars spin-off Rogue One, and at least one of her fellow Rogue One characters stopped by to wish her luck on her first hosting gig with SNL. You can tell Jones was nervous at the start of the show, failing to have much rhythm in the delivery of her opening jokes, but hopefully the appearance of the wide-eyed and intense Saw Gerrera helped to calm her down.

SNL stalwart Kenan Thompson stepped into the role as the renegade Rebel leader Saw Gerrera, and he was the highlight of the opening. He looked remarkably like the character (originally played by Forest Whitaker), complete with his armor and crazy wig; Thompson completely owned it. Taking a drag from his breathing mask ("What are you breathing from that mask?" "Wouldn't you like to know!"), Gerrera had an important message from an old friend to help Jones with her mission to host the show.

Cue the other big cameo of the night, with Tina Fey playing a Princess Leia-type character (although she's not a princess; she only got that scarf from Ilene Fisher). It only makes sense that an SNL veteran like Fey was brought in to help calm Jones' nerves. Fey assured the Star Wars actress that she couldn't possibly be any worse than Steven Segal, while adding that it was okay to not be the funniest one in the sketch; sometimes you just have to pass the baton to your friend Ray-Ray to handle the jokes. If all else fails, then know that you can count on Leslie Jones acting angry and horny when the writers don't know how to end a sketch.

Saturday Night Live is all new next week with host Aziz Ansari and musical guest Big Sean. SNL airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. EST on NBC.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, don't read any further if you aren't up to date on the latest Star Wars adventure!

The Hollywood gender pay gap has become an enormous hot button issue in recent years. Many industries have a nasty habit of paying women less than men for equal work, and the entertainment industry is one of the most egregious offenders in this particular category. However, the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story seems to show some signs of progress, as Felicity Jones took home the biggest paycheck out of the entire cast.

A new report form THR confirms that Felicity Jones was the highest paid actor on the set of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by a substantial margin. Although the exact figure remains a mystery, the report indicates that Jones was the only member of the cast to take home a seven-digit income for her work on the production. For the sake of comparison, Jones' male co-stars barely managed to take home paychecks in the middle six-figure range.

It's not necessarily surprising to learn that Felicity Jones garnered such immense pay for her work on Rogue One. After all, she's an Academy aAward nominated actress (which she earned for her work on The Theory of Everything) who has experienced a surge of hits and critical praise in recent years. If any actress is going to represent a turning point in the war for equal pay, then it definitely would make sense to see Jones take that honor.

However, whether or not this trend will continue in the Star Wars franchise remains a mystery. Despite the fact that Rogue One has a very definitive ending, Felicity Jones has an option in her contract to appear as Jyn Erso in another Star Wars movie. If she actually decides to revive Jyn at some point, then we can likely expect her to take home a similar paycheck.

Of course, there's still quite a bit of work that needs to be done on this particular issue. Although Felicity Jones took home a substantial paycheck for her work on Rogue One, other A-listers like Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence have been notably short-changed for their work on recent films. At this point there's no real guarantee that Felicity Jones' paycheck on Rogue One represents the sort of monumental shift that we've been waiting for, but there's definitely evidence to support such a case. At the end of the day progress is progress.

CinemaBlend will keep you up to date regarding all of the latest and greatest Star Wars news as more information becomes available to us. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently in theaters; make sure to check it out!

Last year, I had the incredible fortune of sitting with the stars of Star Wars: The Force Awakens prior to the blockbuster's release, and during each of those conversations I asked each of them their favorite and least favorite part of the whole process. Each of them provided diverse and fun answers, which gave a great glimpse into what what the unique experience was like. So, naturally, when I sat down with the cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story earlier this month, I took the opportunity to ask the same question.

During the San Francisco press day for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, I spoke with Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelson and Ben Mendelsohn, and got all of them talking about their favorite and least favorite parts of making the movie. Check out their answers below and on the next few pages!

Felicity Jones

Before entering the Star Wars universe, Felicity Jones was primarily known for her work in serious drama (her Oscar-winning performance in The Theory Of Everything being a prime example), so when it came to making Rogue One, her favorite bit was diving into the action. The actress told me that she had a great deal of fun working with the stunt team and making the film's action sequences authentic. The downside of the production for Jones was just the rough conditions that many of the film's environments had to offer -- but it certainly sounds like it was a tough time that was worth it in the end.

Diego Luna

Of all the Rogue One actors I talked to, Diego Luna had far and away the most apparent enthusiasm for his time in the world of Star Wars - and that was fully reflected in his answer to my question and favorite and least favorite moments. He was clearly overtaken with joy any time he was surrounded by the world of the classic sci-fi saga, and he never wanted any of it to end. Literally his least favorite part of production was whenever Gareth Edwards would always say 'Cut' at the end of a shot.

Alan Tudyk & Riz Ahmed

Alan Tudyk didn't always have to get into the tougher stuff in Rogue One (an extended rainy sequence seeing K-2SO staying indoors), but Riz Ahmed found that flying around in spaceships wasn't always the most comfortable thing. Similar to Oscar Isaac's experience making Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he quickly found out that it can make you just a bit ill to stay in one for too long. At least they got to be in some amazing places while they were filming!

Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen found his favorite and least favorite parts of making Rogue One: A Star Wars Story orbiting the same arena. As cool as it is making a Star Wars movie, it is also hard work when you're doing a lot of stunt and action work in rough environments -- which is why Yen felt a sense of relief when it all came together. As for his least favorite part of the production, the thing that was hardest for him was just being away from his family during the many months of shooting. Surely getting to go back to them made the aforementioned last day of filming that much sweeter.

Mads Mikkelson & Ben Mendelsohn

Like Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelson wasn't shy about expressing his Star Wars love and getting to wear his "fanboy hat" while making Rogue One (taking off that hat when diving into the material as an actor). Impressively, that left him with zero complaints and nothing to qualify as his "least favorite" thing about making the movie. Similarly, Ben Mendelsohn felt it was an honor just to be a part of this legendary franchise, while also admitting that keeping so many secrets about the production wasn't his favorite thing to do.

We audiences first meet Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso as an adult in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, she isn't exactly the friendliest person around. More than just extremely independent, she really trusts nobody other than herself, and will happily kick the ass of anyone who even tries to get close. It's a rough edge that is sanded down throughout the course of the film, but there is a very clear explanation as to why she is who she is -- and it all ties back into the 15 years she spent as a child on the run from the Empire.

Jyn Erso's mysterious past was a topic of discussion when I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Felicity Jones at the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story press day held in San Francisco earlier this month. Noting that the movie opens with Jyn as a child and then flashes forward to her as an adult, I asked the actress how she went about filling the gaps of her character's past -- and she not only explained how she went about it herself, but also how it wound up totally informing her entire performance. Said Jones,

Without getting to far into spoilers, it's worth noting that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story does touch on some details of Jyn Erso's upbringing -- but fans also shouldn't expect long flashback sequences that explain every little thing that happened to her. Instead, the story of those 15 years is really only touched upon through Jyn's hardened personality, and conversations during a particular reunion. All that said, it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if in the next few years we get either a book or a comic that tells the full story of Jyn's past.

You can watch Felicity Jones talk about Jyn Erso's crazy-heavy emotional baggage by pressing play on the video below!

For now, Jyn Erso remains mostly a mystery to even the most hardcore Star Wars fans, but that period of time will soon come to an end. We are now just two days away from the release of Rogue One, which will be arriving in theaters worldwide this Friday, December 16th. Be sure to read my spoiler-free review to get yourself amped for the blockbuster, and stay tuned for a whole lot more interviews, features, and editorials about the film here on Cinema Blend!

By now you probably know that Star Wars is doing something relatively unheard of in the realm of franchises. Rather than consistently follow specific characters, Lucasfilm has decided to produce a series of standalone Star Wars films that will constantly branch out in new directions in addition to the main Skywalker saga. This means that we won't see a sequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the future, but that doesn't seem to bother Felicity Jones. The Rogue One actress explained:

Felicity Jones recently spoke to the Toronto Sun about the upcoming release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and as you can already tell, she seems pretty happy that there's no sequel in sight. The reason for this is the flexibility that is afforded to filmmakers when the overall franchise constantly branches out in different directions. If Lucasfilm took the easy route and simply followed Jyn Erso into Rogue Two, then it would constrict the filmmakers into matching the tone, style and aesthetic of the original, and that's far less interesting.

This genuinely puts Star Wars in a different category than most other franchises. From Captain America to James Bond, most beloved film series have to maintain some degree of consistency, but Star Wars is a brand that is completely free from that restriction. Lucasfilm can produce a dark, and gritty film about one set of characters, and then immediately shift gears, bring in another team and produce a much lighter film centering on a completely different corner of the galaxy far, far away. Beyond that, this wildly different method of storytelling allows Lucasfilm to delve into a lot of more obscure Star Wars stories in a much shorter period of time, because the franchise won't become bogged down in any single story for too long. It's a new approach, and it works because of the sheer size of the Star Wars galaxy.

What do you think of this new approach to the Star Wars franchise? Do you like the idea of one-off films, or would you want to see a Rogue One sequel at some point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

CinemaBlend will keep you updated with more information related to the future of the Star Wars franchise as new details become available to us. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters later this month on December 16!

Check out the final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on the next page to get yourself even more pumped for the first ever standalone Star Wars movie!

December is officially upon us, which means the release of Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is insanely close. Over the last few months we have been teased, taunted, and otherwise titillated with glimpses at the overall story, but now the marketing campaign has truly kicked into high gear. To get you even more excited for the upcoming standalone Star Wars film (as if that's even possible), a new clip has been released showing off the badass fighting skills of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), as well as some possible friendly fire. Check it out below to see for yourself.

Felicity Jones recently made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and showed off some of her impressive combat abilities as Jyn Erso. As you can clearly see from the above clip, she knows how to hold her own in a fight. She showcases some seriously badass hand-to-hand skills, as well as some solid marksmanship ability. In fact, she may be a little too good with a blaster. At one point during the clip, she whirls around and fires a shot directly through the chest of a droid resembling Alan Tudyk's K-2SO. She shows no hint of remorse in her expression -- until K-2SO appears and asks whether or not she knew what she was doing.

From that point forward in the film, Jyn Erso should probably watch her back. Based upon everything we have learned about K-2SO, he is apparently not the type of droid that you want to mess with. Despite the fact that there seems to definitely be some concern present in his voice right after Jyn almost shoots him, he reportedly has a personality that draws upon the best attributes of Chewbacca, as well as HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic. To put that description into perspective for people who are not quite as familiar with Star Wars: he's dangerous, and he might even enjoy killing you if he gets the chance.

Right off the bat this clip should instill a ton of confidence in Rogue One's action sequences. By the standard of the average Star Wars movie, this sequence is visceral, violent, and far grittier than anything we have ever seen a Jedi engage in. It's also worth noting that the sequence actually shows the possible consequences of violence and combat. One wrong move and an ally could easily be killed. That's important when crafting a movie that's essentially supposed to be The Dirty Dozen set in the Star Wars universe.

Make sure to stay tuned for more information concerning the upcoming release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The film will blast its way into theaters on December 16!

Check out the final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on the next page to get a better sense of what's at stake for this rag tag group of rebels!

Felicity Jones has admitted that she didn't have to go too far for inspiration when she was developing the character of Jyn Erso for Rogue One. She's revealed that, to her, the Alliance member is a mesh of the iconic Star Wars heroes Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

The 33-year-old actress, who was previously nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal in The Theory Of Everything, made this admission to Glamour magazine as part of its December issue. Felicity Jones insisted that Jyn Erso is a "rather beautiful blend of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo," before insisting that she's playing a "very contemporary, kickass Disney princess."

There were obviously numerous reasons why Felicity Jones jumped at the opportunity to join the Star Wars universe, and during her discussion with the publication, she broke down why it was so rare to be given such an opportunity. Felicity Jones explained:

We've already been given glimpses of what Felicity Jones' portrayal of Jyn Erso will be like in the numerous Rogue One trailers that have been released in the build-up to the sci-fi blockbuster. If you need a reminder of both Felicity Jones' prowess as an actress and why the entire cinematic community is so preposterously excited for Rogue One, then just have a quick gander at its trailer below.

While Felicity Jones' comments could be dismissed as the usually patter that actors roll out around the release of their films, there's actually something to her revelation that Jyn Erso is a combination of both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Like Harrison Ford's smuggler, Jyn Erso has been on the wrong side of the intergalactic law. Even the above footage shows her having been locked up for her past indiscretions, and there's obviously a rebellious streak to her.

Meanwhile, the trailer and clips for Rogue One have suggested that, even though she's a new recruit, Jyn Erso is also an eager, fierce and loyal soldier to the Rebel Alliance, just like Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. Also, like Luke, she's probably going to have a fractious relationship with her father, as she was separated from him at the age of 15. He went on to become a member of the Galactic Empire, helping to build the Death Star. However, the fact that his message detailing the imminent testing of the super weapon was intercepted by the Rebel Alliance suggests he might have some regrets about his affiliation.

All will be revealed soon enough, because _Rogue One: A Star Wars Story _is now tantalisingly just a few weeks away as it will be released on December 16.

Almost four decades after A New Hope blasted its way into theaters, the Star Wars franchise is as strong as ever. The series experienced a total renaissance with the release of J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens last year, and it's now poised to continue that successful trend with the highly anticipated release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on December 16. Not only will Rogue One tell the awesome story of how the Rebels acquired the plans for the Death Star, but it will also kick off the new tradition of standalone Star Wars movies.

However, as excited as we are for Rogue One, we still have some concerns. As much as we love the Star Wars saga, it has made plenty of mistakes over the course of the last 40 years. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of Star Wars mistakes that Rogue One absolutely needs to avoid in order to succeed. These issues have hindered previous adventures in the galaxy far, far away, and it's our hope that the folks behind Rogue One have learned from these mistakes. Now let's get started with an issue that could potentially ruin the film's central heroine:

Don't Make Jyn Erso Force Sensitive

At first, Rogue One seemed like a genuine breath of fresh air for its newfound emphasis on the scoundrels of the Star Wars universe. After years of focusing on the Jedi, it felt like a welcome change of pace to see a movie based on the non-powered characters in this galaxy. However, several of Rogue One's recent trailers have shown Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) maintaining a deep-seated faith in The Force. That's fine, but that's as far as it should go. Rogue One should set itself apart by having these characters view The Force from an outsider's perspective, and NOT take the easy way out by making Jyn a Jedi in the third act. We already have Rey for that.

Don't Connect Jyn To The Skywalker Family

In keeping with that theme, Rogue One should also endeavor to keep Jyn Erso as far away from the characters of the previous films as much as possible. As the first standalone film in the Star Wars saga, Rogue One needs to legitimately stand alone. If she turns out to be a distant relative of the Skywalkers, or the Solos, or even the Kenobis, that twist will only continue the franchise's somewhat misguided tradition of tying everything together far too neatly. Not everyone needs to be related; some people are simply heroes in their own right.

Don't Use Too Many References To Past Movies

As much as we love Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it's hard to ignore the fact that it's essentially a two hour and fifteen minute love letter to A New Hope. This mistake also constantly reared its head during the prequels, as every iconic character, ship, and planet from the original trilogy was shoehorned in whenever possible. Callbacks and references to previous movies are absolutely fine (the whole point of Rogue One is to provide more context for other Star Wars movies), but the upcoming standalone film should not be bogged down with references and Easter eggs. Focus on a good story, and tie the greater Star Wars universe in when it actually works.

Don't Completely Ignore The Prequels

Whether we like it or not, the Star Wars prequels still exist in this continuity, and their stories hold a massive amount of weight over the direction of the saga. Even if they send a shiver down your spine, terms like "Trade Federation," "The Clone Wars," and "Geonosis,"still have quite a bit of resonance for the events of Rogue One. The upcoming Star Wars film doesn't have to tie everything together (see the previous entry) but it still should take the time to acknowledge the canon that precedes it. That will go a long way towards tightening the Star Wars continuity.

Don't Take The Mystery Out Of Star Wars

In The Phantom Menace, George Lucas almost completely ruined The Force in five syllables: Midichlorians. These microscopic life forms exist inside the cells of all living things, and their abundance can determine an individual's Force sensitivity. Kind of takes the magic out of The Force, right? While Rogue One will definitely provide quite a bit of context and insight into a story that we're already familiar with, it's important for Gareth Edwards to make sure that he doesn't over rationalize certain elements of the Star Wars universe. It's okay if some things never receive a perfect explanation; that's part of the fun of Star Wars.

Don't Play Solely To The Young Audience

There's definitely no ignoring the fact that the Star Wars films are certainly family friendly adventures. However, some of the saga's biggest mistakes popped up when storytelling was sacrificed in favor of the introduction of child friendly elements. From the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, to the bumbling Gungan, Jar Jar Binks, in The Phantom Menace, these concepts have generally become infamous for the ways in which they weighed down their respective films. If Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is truly touting itself as a dark and gritty war movie, then it needs to ensure that it doesn't introduce characters specifically designed to sell toys and make the youngest members of the audience happy. Tone is more important than toys.

Are there any other Star Wars mistakes that you hope Rogue One avoids when it hits theaters on December 16? Let us know what you think in the comments section below to keep this conversation going!

I thought I had the perfect Rogue One question for Felicity Jones. I really was quite proud. While sitting across from her and Tom Hanks as they discussed their involvement in Ron Howard's Inferno -- a sequel to both The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons -- I asked Jones if her own upcoming Rogue One was structured in a way that sequels were even possible. What if audiences love Jyn Erso? Will we ever see her again? And I think I almost got her, though as she skillfully deflected my expertly posed question, I learned that her Inferno co-star, Tom Hanks, also tried (and failed) to get Star Wars information out of Jones on a daily basis. Watch this adorable exchange for yourself.

And if you won't tell Tom Hanks, one of the greatest actors of our generation, any Rogue One information, what chance do the rest of us mere mortals have? The answer is "None."

Here's why I still love that question, despite Felicity Jones' non-answer. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a prequel to the original Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the movie explains how the Rebel Alliance acquired the plans -- OK, stole the plans -- to the Empire's top weapon, the Death Star, so that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his X-Wing colleagues can blow the thing to smithereens at the end of A New Hope. We know how Rogue One is going to end. What we DON'T know is what happens to Jyn Eros (Felicity Jones) and her fellow Rebel spies after this story.

Do they all survive? Is a Rogue One 2 -- that's a weird title -- even possible? If Jyn and her crew do survive the actions of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, maybe they went off on other missions for the Rebellion in other parts of the galaxy. I can't see Disney or Lucasfilm closing the door on a potential new hero that audiences might adore. And with an Oscar-nominated actress like Jones in the fold (and possibly under contract), more Jyn Erso stories may be in the cards.

Just, don't ask Felicity Jones about those cards, because she's holding them very close to her vest. Not even Tom Hanks, a two-time Oscar winning LEGEND who spent months filming Inferno alongside Jones could get any secrets out of her, Unless he knows all of the secrets, and just agreed to play Jones' game. Oh, Hanks. You sly devil. I trusted you!

Inferno, starring Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones, opens in theaters on October 28. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, meanwhile, hits theaters on December 16.

Ron Howard's adaptations of Dan Brown's bestselling novels have been, to this point, staged as white-knuckle thrillers that race through the pages of historical and religious texts. But Inferno, his third attempt at bringing Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) to the big screen, incorporates elements of a totally unexpected genre: Horror. That's right, the Oscar-winning director of A Beautiful Mind, Splash and Apollo 13 dabbles in horror for the first time with stark imagery that serves the story, but also gives Howard the chance to flex his creative muscles. When I interviewed Howard in Florence, Italy on behalf of Inferno and asked him about this approach, he said there was a perfectly good reason, explaining:

Not that Inferno doesn't have plenty of sequence of Tom Hanks' noted symbologist, Robert Langdon, sprinting from one museum to the next. In the film, an amnesic Langdon is racing the clock to stop a madman who has created a plague that will decimate the global population. But Langdon's brain is messing with him, and he sees horrible visions... like this nun, who is about to be bathed in a wave of blood.

There are numerous instances throughout Inferno where Langdon, through these visions, encounters some form of visual atrocity, and it frees Howard -- temporarily -- to break away from the chase and show off some of the cues he picked up from Italian horror directors like Dario Argento. Not what you expect from Howard, but in this context, it really works. Here's part of my conversation with Ron Howard for Inferno:

Inferno stars Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy and Ben Foster in an international sprint to prevent a catastrophe. It opens in theaters on Oct. 28. Looks for more coverage from our trip to the Inferno junket on the site in the coming days.

Reshoots. Every major film does them (reportedly), but few like to talk about them, for some odd reason. It's almost like fans are upset when a filmmaker tries to go back and correct something that isn't working, making a story seamless before it hits theaters. Which is why Hollywood often tries to avoid revealing HOW the sausage gets made. Just enjoy the sausage! (No more food in this metaphor.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story made waves when reshoots were revealed, but star Felicity Jones downplays the reason for their existence, saying:

By first draft, she was referring to the article written by THR columnist Tatiana Siegel, who was interviewing Felicity Jones on behalf of Inferno, A Monster Calls and, of course, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Needless to say, Jones is experiencing a significant moment, with three massive movies set to reach theaters before year's end. But it was the reshoots assigned to Gareth Edwards' Rogue One that had fandom concerned. Maybe it's because Suicide Squad had also undergone reshoots -- for reasons we'll never full understand. Or it's because fandom isn't sure what to expect out of Rogue One, the first non-saga spinoff experiment of this new Disney/Lucasfilm collaboration.

As Kathleen Kennedy recognizes, the fact that it's Star Wars is the sole reason fans are concerned. She tells THR:

The old "business as usual" line. And I actually believe it. These cruise ships are too massive to turn on a dime, and if a filmmaker sees that something can be punched up and enhanced with reshoots, why wouldn't you?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story goes back along the Star Wars timeline to a moment before the original Star Wars movie, A New Hope. In the film, we will meet Jyn Erso (Jones), a member of the Rebellion who'll be tasked with retrieving the Death Star construction plans so that Rebel forces can figure out how to blow the damn thing up. Erso's father (Mads Mikkelsen) might be responsible for the design of the Death Star, which helps explain why Jyn gets involved.

Unless reshoots changed everything. We will find out when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.

Rogue One is going to be even more a family affair than we thought. Because it has been confirmed that we're going to be introduced to Jyn Erso's mother as well as her father. Valene Kane, who is portraying Lyra Erso in Rogue One: A Story Wars Story, has revealed that her character is indeed the mother of Felicity Jones' protagonist, which suggests that this could just be the first of many outings for the Erso family.

Valene Kane made this revelation regarding her character while speaking to Belfast Live, admitting that it came as quite a surprise that she was involved in such a key role in the iconic franchise. And her part of Lyra Erso is quite a doozy, too, as not only is she the mother to Felicity Jones but she is the wife to Mads Mikkelsen's Galen Erso.

But it doesn't sound as though we'll get to see much of Valene Kane in Rogue One, though. That's because, according to Gizmodo, the trailer for Rogue One that premiered at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year appeared to show a young child, who we can safely assume is Jyn, running through a field as Imperial ships wreaked havoc. Plus, Star Wars has a thing with orphans so it wouldn't be a stretch if Lyra Erso's time alive came to an end prematurely, and helped to spur Jyn on to a life of righteousness.

Mads Mikkelsen has already revealed some hefty details about his character Galen Erso. Not only did he divulge that Galen is Jyn's father, but he also admitted that they have a distant relationship and that he is the one that sends the Rebels a transmission about the Death Star being tested.

For those of you that don't know, Rogue One is the eighth installment to the Star Wars universe. Set before Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One sees Felicity Jones's Jyn Erso recruited by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the Death Star, the super-weapon/space station that is the home of Darth Vader and is used by the Galactic Empire in their quest to rule the galaxy. You can check out the trailer for Rogue One, which suggests that the blockbuster is going to be downright spectacular, by clicking below.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, who over the last few years has overseen the hugely impressive Monsters and Godzilla, Rogue One also stars Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. We'll finally get to see Rogue One when it's released on December 16.

The original Star Wars movie gave moviegoers a broad look at the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and Empire decades ago, but Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is going back to that time period to navigate deeper into the "trenches." Emphasizing the "Wars" more of the franchise, fans are going to meet a new group of Rebel fighters who aren't nearly as famous as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo, but were nonetheless important to the cause. Fortunately, according to lead actress Felicity Jones, Star Wars fans will love these main characters due to how "flawed" they feel.

In the midst of interviewing Jones about her new movie, A Monster Calls, Yahoo posed a few Rogue One questions, including which other characters besides her own, Jyn Erso, the actress thinks fans will "latch onto." She said:

While the original Star Wars protagonists certainly weren't without their share of struggles, it's good to hear that the Rogue One characters have their own issues, making them compelling to watch rather than folks who are "perfect" and uninteresting. Let's start with Jyn Erso: she's spent most of her life fighting to survive and striking back against the impressive Imperials, not to mention that she's been estranged from her father Galen, a scientist involved with creating the Death Star. That background is more than enough to make us want to root for her as she joins the Rebellion effort.

Of course, Jyn Erso won't be the only one sticking it to the Imperials in Rogue One. Her cohorts range from Riz Ahmed's Bodhi Rook, a former Imperial pilot who joined the Rebel cause, to Jiang Wen's Baz Malbus, a hardened assassin who spends his time shooting Imperial soldiers and looking after his friend, spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe, played by Donnie Yen. Let's also not forget Forest Whittaker's Saw Gerrera, who's been fighting injustice for decades, as seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. All these folks have their reasons for fighting the Empire, and Felicity Jones believes that fans will have a great time learning about them and watching them fight back against the oppressive force dominating the galaxy.

Taking place shortly before the events of A New Hope, Rogue One will follow a band of Rebels who are sent by Mon Mothma and other leaders of the resistance to secure the plans to the Death Star. Besides the previously mentioned names, other new players being introduced include Diego Luna as Rebel officer Cassian Andor, Ben Mendelsohn as Imperial director Orson Krennic and Alan Tudyk as the reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in theaters on December 16.

When watching the original Star Wars trilogy, it's painfully clear that the Rebellion was a major sausage fest. Aside from Leia Organa, Mon Mothma in Return of the Jedi and one or two nameless operatives, the resistance against the Empire was largely comprised of men, at least on screen. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is helping rectify that a little bit by featuring new protagonist Jyn Erso front and center, but actress Felicity Jones wants the audience to know that women are just as key to the Rebellion, even if many of them serve in different capacities.

Addressing the uneven ratio of men to women in the Rebellion, Jones told EW that there are a lot of women in the Rebellion serving in leadership positions, including Mon Mothma, who Jyn looks up to. The actress explained:

Because the Star Wars movies can't all the events of the Galactic Civil Civil War, obviously there are plenty of women who we'll never meet that are contributing to the fight against the Empire, whether it's overseeing a mission or shooting a blaster out in the field. The novels, comic books and video games have introduced to some of them, but nevertheless, the Star Wars franchise could benefit from seeing some ladies in action. Fortunately, it's good to hear from Felicity Jones that like in the real world, the Star Wars universe is including women of power in its narrative through politics and other areas, and considering how Mon Mothma was instrumental in organizing the Rebellion after Revenge of the Sith, Jyn Erso couldn't have picked a better role model.

Rogue One's Jyn Erso is the latest step to introducing more important female characters in a galaxy far, far away. Last year in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, aside from Carrie Fisher reprising Leia Organa (now a general), Daisy Ridley's Rey was introduced, and much like Luke Skywalker decades ago in the original movies, she's now the main face of the sequel trilogy. There was also the wise Maz Kanata, Resistance pilot Jess Pava and even The First Order got some lady power through the intimidating Captain Phasma (though she didn't get to do much). Next year will see the introduction of Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran's still-unnamed characters in Star Wars: Episode VIII, and the Han Solo movie is reportedly casting a female lead as we speak. As for Rogue One, that movie will see Jyn Erso and her fellow Rebels being sent by Mon Mothma and the rest of the Rebellion leadership to steal the plans to the Death Star.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in theaters on December 16.

It's an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan. When Disney bought out Lucasfilm back in October of 2012, they laid out a plan to expand the world George Lucas created to a degree we've never seen before. They may have scrapped all of the Expanded Universe material that accumulated over the years (or at least decreed that it's not official canon), but they're working their tails off to fill in that void with projects like the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

At this point, we already have new novels, an animated television series in Star Wars Rebels, a handful of comic book titles from Marvel, and, of course, J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens. All of the expanded universe stuff is great, but the movies are what fans really want to see, and in addition to a new trilogy of interconnected saga movies, we're getting a series of standalone, so-called, "anthology" films that examine unexplored areas of the Star Wars saga, illuminating various corners of that far, far away galaxy.

Within these anthology movies, which have also been called "Star Wars Stories," we'll get to peer into the hidden crevices of this universe we love so much, explore different times and places, and possibly learn about events we've only ever heard about. The first of these is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and we have a lot of questions. Who is going to star? What will it be about? Will we see familiar characters? Will this impact/be impacted by the other films? Let's take a look at what we know about Rogue One so far.

First, let's take a look at the newest trailer!

And now let's break down what we know about the latest Star Wars feature, starting with:

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Release Date?

As mentioned earlier, it's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. In addition to the surplus of other officially canon material, which includes everything from TV shows to comics and video games like Star Wars: Battlefront, we're getting at least one movie a year for the foreseeable future - alternating between Episode titles like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Anthology chapters, like Star Wars: Rogue One. Star Wars movies have, up to this point, traditionally arrived in theaters in May of their respective years of release. The Force Awakens changed that trend, however, and was a huge winter blockbuster in December 2015. For now, the franchise will stick to this schedule, as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is scheduled to be released almost exactly one year after, with a December 16, 2016 release date on the calendar.

From the look of things, there won't necessarily be a ton of consistency release date-wise with the upcoming films. Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII, which doesn't currently have a title, will also be a pre-Christmas release, coming out on December 15, 2017. Less than six months later, specifically on May 25, 2018, audiences will be treated to Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Han Solo film - and then Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode IX will come out a year after that (on May 24, 2019).

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Rating?

Films don't typically get their official rating until just a few weeks before they open, so, since we still have some months to wait before Star Wars: Rogue One hits theaters, we aren't completely sure of the rating just yet. But, the Star Wars movies have a long history of PG or PG-13 ratings, so you can bet that this film will be in line with that track record. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a PG-13 rating, and it's even more likely that Rogue One will carry the same rating when it opens this December.

The Director

Pretty much the first thing we learned about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, even well before the title was revealed, was that Gareth Edwards was going to direct. Edwards only has two feature directorial efforts under his belt, but they certainly made an impact. His first film, 2010's micro-budget Monsters, is a tense, unique take on the creature feature - one where the filmmaker handled all the visual effects himself. While that movie wasn't exactly a blockbuster hit, Edwards' talent caught the eye of Hollywood, and he was given the reins of 2014's Godzilla revamp. His attempt to bring the King of the Monsters back to the metroplex was a rousing success.

These two very different films showcase a varied skill set that should serve Edwards well on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He's shown he can tell a character-driven story, as well as one that relies on action, large-scale special effects, and spectacle - and both of those elements will come in handy in deep space. In Monsters, the titular beasts are relegated to the background, adding an extra layer of mood and tone to the story that is really about two people wandering the wilderness. This shows that he has the ability to get you emotionally invested in the people onscreen, without relying solely on flash to keep your attention. While Star Wars has always been full of eye candy, it's the characters that stick with you.

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Story?

We've been hearing rumors about the plot of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story since the earliest stages of development, with whispers of rebels, a daring heist, and an Ocean's Eleven-style ensemble of characters coming together to pull off a job. At Star Wars Celebration 2014, we got confirmation that some of that is correct. The story follows a band of rebel fighters who steal the plans for the first Death Star. That definitely covers the heist element, not to mention it sets the action in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as resistance to the Galactic Empire begins to build momentum.

While this links the story to the main narrative thrust of the Star Wars saga, it also looks like it might do something no movie in the franchise has ever done: focus on normal people in the universe. The Jedi mythos has figured prominently into every extant Star Wars film, and while we've seen and encountered non-powered people, with the exception of Han Solo, they've never really taken center stage. If nothing else, this is going to be a drastically different view of this universe in which we've spent so much time, and it's been promised that, while most of the Saga has been rather black and white, Rogue One is one big shade of gray in terms of who is right and who is wrong in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones)

When the cast for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens was first announced, one of the immediate reactions was that there were only a few female characters. Obviously the release of the blockbuster revealed that Daisy Ridley's Rey will be the central hero of the new saga trilogy, but those won't be the only new movies featuring strong female leads. The first actor confirmed to be in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was Felicity Jones, and it will be through her eyes that we see the movie's story unfold. In addition to popping up in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the 31-year-old British actress received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Jane Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything.

As for the character that Felicity Jones will be playing, the first teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story does a pretty fantastic job giving us a bit of backstory for Jyn Erso. On her own since she was a teenager, she is a fighter with very little appreciation for authority - which leads her to find a home for herself in the rebellion. The footage we've seen seems to suggest that she'll be undergoing a bit of training in the movie, but it also sounds like she will have a key role in the heist of the Death Star plans.

The Leading Men

Felicity Jones is the central protagonist of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but the nature of the film's story demands a fairly large ensemble of actors - and that's exactly what the production has collected. During Walt Disney's D23 Expo in August of 2015, the studio confirmed a number of the main members of the cast. This is a list that includes:

Diego Luna

Ben Mendelsohn

Donnie Yen

Jiang Wen

Forest Whitaker

Mads Mikkelsen

Alan Tudyk

Riz Ahmed

Very little is known about most of the characters that the actors are playing in the movie, but some information has leaked out and been revealed in footage. For example, it's been reported that Alan Tudyk won't be featured in the movie in person, but instead will be providing a motion capture performance (playing a droid called K-2SO). Additionally, Mads Mikkelsen will not be playing a villain in the movie (a nice break for him), and will reportedly be Galen - who may be Jyn Erso's father.

Instead of Mikkelsen, it instead seems as though the central villain of the film will be Director Orson Krennic, played by actor Ben Mendelsohn. Almost nothing has been revealed about this character yet, though we do know that he is a high-ranking member of the Galactic Empire, and that he looks damn good in a space cape.

It's also been revealed that the character being played by Forest Whitaker has an interesting bit of history. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story he will be playing Saw Gerrera - which is a name that fans of the animated Clone Wars television show should recognize. Gerrera, paired with his sister Steela, were featured in four episodes of the series' fifth season, and they were rebels who fought alongside the central heroes, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan Kenobi, and the young Ahsoka Tano. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set 20 years after those events, so it will be interesting to learn exactly what he's been up to since then.

What 'Anthology' Means

You have probably noticed by now that Rogue One is being called an "anthology" film. When you think of what normally constitutes an anthology film, you generally call to mind films made up of multiple chapters - essentially a series of connected short films (with the V/H/S and ABCs of Death series, there has been a glut of such projects in horror lately). The Star Wars franchise is tweaking that definition slightly, and basically using the word "Anthology" to mean "Stories Told Outside Of The Central Saga."

This classification sets Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the films that will follow it apart from the "Episodes," and while the events will impact the continuity of the Star Wars universe (obviously stealing the Death Star plans plays a big role) they're markedly different from what has come before. We've so far seen the journey of the Skywalker family in the films, and the Anthology films will tell stories just outside of that realm. It also appears these movies will explore side stories that appear to have less focus on the Force and the Jedi.

In addition to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, LucasFilm and Disney are developing two other Anthology projects, set to come out in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The first, which is set to be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, is the untitled Han Solo movie, starring Alden Ehrenreich as the younger version of Harrison Ford's legendary smuggler character. The third project, which has yet to reveal its central subject, was going to be directed by Josh Trank, but has been in stasis ever since the film and the filmmaker parted ways in 2015.

Familiar Characters

As mentioned earlier, a significant part of the raison d'etre for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is to tell the stories of characters not necessarily directly related to the Skywalker clan and the central Star Wars saga. Of course, that doesn't mean that the film won't have a handful of recognizable faces from previous chapters in the franchise. We've already talked about Forest Whitaker's role as Saw Gerrera from Clone Wars, and the first trailer showed that Genevieve O'Reilly will be reprising her role as Rebel leader Mon Mothma from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (the character first played by Caroline Blakiston in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. But they won't be the only familiar faces that we see in Gareth Edwards' blockbuster.

It was first confirmed in the trailer shown at Star Wars Celebration 2016 that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will feature the big screen return of one of the most iconic villains in cinema history: Darth Vader. Unfortunately, because the footage only featured the Sith Lord's breathing and a reflection of his image, it wasn't exactly informative in terms of what role the great antagonist will play. As shown in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, he is definitely in the mix once the Death Star plans get stolen, intercepting Princess Leia on the Tantive IV, but we don't really now how he will be involved while the mission is actually happening.

Another character who fans will very likely be excited to see return for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a key figure from George Lucas' prequel movies: Senator Bail Organa. Played by Jimmy Smits, Organa was first introduced in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and while he obviously sits in an important political position within the fictional universe, fans mostly recognize him for something else: he is Princess Leia's adopted father. Smits has gone on record about his role in Rogue One, calling it both a "cameo" and a "small part," so obviously we're still very much in the dark about his larger role in the film.

John Williams

For many of us, John Williams and his rousing scores are practically synonymous with Star Wars. If you need a reminder of just how important his work is to these movies, just check out this scene from A New Hope without his signature sound. While the 83-year-old composer was back to contribute to The Force Awakens, he will not work on any of the Anthology movies. Consequently, we won't hear his soaring themes in Star Wars: Rogue One, making it the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters without a Williams score.

While he may be no John Williams, Gareth Edwards and company have found a strong replacement in Academy Award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat. He and Edwards worked together on Godzilla, and there are few composers out there as celebrated. He walked away with an Oscar in 2015 for his work on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel - and he was actually competing against himself in that race, as he was also nominated for his contribution to The Imitation Game. It will be interesting to see if he puts his own unique stamp on Star Wars with Rogue One, or if he attempts to channel John Williams.

Believe it or not, 2016 will go down as the year it was cool to have a giant friend. With The BFG currently in release and Pete's Dragon coming not to far behind, it's apparently a trend for children to make nice with a gargantuan pal, all in the name of adventure. But the giant friend in A Monster Calls' latest trailer isn't only another member of such a trend, he also looks like another big friend to the world of movie audiences: Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Watch the trailer below, and judge for yourself.

Focus Features released this updated look at their childhood drama through their YouTube channel earlier today, and it is absolutely spectacular. While the first trailer for A Monster Calls was a more low key teaser, this second look at J.A. Bayona's adaptation of the book of the same name goes all out. In terms of visuals and story beats, the film's charms are on display and the result looks like a film that's going to be really pretty to look at, if only we could stop crying long enough to do so.

A Monster Calls tells the story of Connor (Lewis MacDougall,) an imaginative young man who is going through a tough time, between dealing with bullies and a mother who's gravely ill (Felicity Jones.) In his time of need, he summons a friend of great power and stature, a tree based being known only as "The Monster" (Liam Neeson.) With The Monster at his disposal, Connor will smash through barriers, lash out with his feelings, and hopefully come closer to inner peace. Inner peace with a friend that looks extremely similar to dear old Groot.

Of course, the differences between The Monster and Groot are minute enough to differentiate the characters in copyright court. In fact, the greatest difference is that The Monster has a messier look to his general figure, as well as a clearly defined nose. While Groot looks like the kind of tree-based organism that you would find in a Disney movie, The Monster is a much more stoic and haunting individual. Which is great for A Monster Calls' purposes, as the film looks like a deeply moving examination of the loss of childhood innocence, through the darker parts of the imagination.

As if the look of the film wasn't amazing enough, the cast to A Monster Calls is equally impressive, with Jones and Neeson being joined by fellow cast members Toby Kebbell, who wowed audiences as Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and legendary actor Sigourney Weaver. With four ringers, and an impressive looking debut performance from Lewis MacDougall, A Monster Calls looks like it's a perfect match for J.A. Bayona's sensibilities, as he's handled both the emotional and the supernatural with previous ensemble pieces The Impossible and The Orphanage.

We'll see just how scary The Monster really is when A Monster Calls opens on October 21st.

This story has been removed at the request of the studio, Walt Disney, and the information regarding character names and potential spacecraft has been edited. We expect to have plenty of more official pieces of information on Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as we get closer to the film’s release date on December 16.

If you need additional information on Rogue One, we have plenty of stories that have run on CinemaBlend to date, including:

- 6 New Star Wars Characters Who Were Introduced In The Film’s First Trailer.

- Photos of New Costumes and Weapons That Characters Will Use in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

- And Speculation on How Rogue One Might Forge Connections To Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first of several planned spinoff movies that are separate from the trilogy launched with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It will take place in the years between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the seminal Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

If you haven’t yet seen the first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we have it below:

Last week when the first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story landed, fans did what you would expect them to do. They tore it apart and analyzed it to a psychotic degree. It’s certainly what we did. The other thing that fans did was try to figure out if this second of the new Star Wars movies would have any bearing on the first one. The primary question was whether the new character of Jyn Erso might be the long lost mother of Daisy Ridley’s character Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Ridley herself has now spoken on the topic and while she hasn’t made an outright denial, she’s certainly implying that it is not the case.

During the MTV Movie Awards, the cable channel asked Daisy Ridley specifically about all of the online chatter going on that was tentatively connecting the two lead Star Wars women. Ridley told MTV that we probably shouldn’t get all that excited.

Daisy Ridley likely hits the nail on the head as we have so little information about Jyn Erso at this point as the only reasons to really make the connection are circumstantial. They’re both white and they’re both brunettes, and while that does help the two characters look similar, which could imply a genetic connection, it’s hardly that conclusive. As we pointed out in our analysis of the idea, the chronology as we currently understand it doesn’t really indicate that the timing is right. While we couldn’t use existing evidence to say definitively that Jyn isn’t Rey’s mother, it’s not looking likely.

And to be sure, Daisy Ridley is in a position to know what she’s talking about. She can speak with authority about who is or is not Rey’s mother because the actress does know what the answer is. Well, probably. While it’s possible that Ridley is using some careful language to imply Jyn Erso isn’t the answer, without actually denying it because it's actually true, we’re inclined to continue our search for the answer elsewhere as Jyn probably isn’t it.

Whether or not we will actually get our answer to this question in Star Wars: Episode VIII remains to be seen. Daisy Ridley isn’t talking about that, of course. Do you still think there’s a chance that Jyn will turn out to be the mysterious mother? Who’s your top candidate right now?

It’s been four long months since we’ve received any serious fix for our Star Wars addiction but now we finally have a new trailer for a new film to parse until there’s nothing left. While we’ve known what the basic plot of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story would be for some time, that’s the only piece of information that we knew for sure. With the release of the first trailer, we finally some real images of what Rogue One will look like and who the characters in it will be.

While only one of our new characters has a name so far, we can make some educated guesses about who all these new people are based on how they are portrayed in the trailer. Here’s a rundown of everybody we’re seeing for the first time in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones' character has the distinction of being the one new character who is actually given a name. Jyn Erso is a criminal. She’s a forger, a thief, and she’s capable of violence. Have we got a job for you! Due to Jyn Erso’s penchant for breaking laws, the Rebel Alliance decides to use her skills to assist them in getting information on the Empire’s new weapons system. She looks like she might be a bit of a hard case, but that also means she’s probably very capable of doing the job. She looks to take down a few Stormtroopers on her own, and that’s without having to resort to The Force.

Diego Luna

Based on what we see here, Diego Luna’s character looks to be our elusive "male lead" character. We see him very early in the trailer inside the rebel base where Jyn Erso is making her deal. We’ll call him her "handler" for the moment. The Rebel Alliance knows that Jyn Erso has the skills, but they’d be crazy to trust her completely. We see Luna’s character with Felicity Jones at the Rebel base at another point as well, which implies these two will be working closely together.

Ben Mendelsohn

As expected, Ben Mendelsohn will be playing the villain of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We’ve heard descriptions of an Imperial character dressed all in white, complete with a full cape, and this is certainly him. Other than the color, his uniform has the look of a traditional Imperial general, or Moff, and indications are that’s the character he’ll be playing. We assume he’s the man who’s been trusted with the Death Star plans, who needs to protect them from our heroes. He certainly doesn't look like somebody we'd choose to mess with.

Forest Whitaker

While Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso is the focus of our trailer, a good portion of the dialogue comes from Forest Whitaker’s character. We don’t know any more about him than we do anybody else, but we do see his character in full armor so he’s certainly a fighter, or possibly was one. His voice over is focused on what somebody, Jyn Erso we assume, will do when she’s caught. He wants to know she’s tough enough to handle it. He appears to be the "taskmaster" of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It looks like it’s his job to make sure the team can complete their job.

Donnie Yen

While our shots of Donnie Yen are only brief, we seem him doing what he does best. Yen is one of the top action stars out of Hong Kong and the glimpse of him we see here shows us why. Armed with only a staff, he finds himself surrounded by Stormtroopers, though for him that doesn’t appear to be an issue. He may turn out to be the most interesting character of the lot. The Jedi have been the closest things to martial artists that we’ve seen in the Star Wars universe, but our understanding is that nobody on the team actually is one. It gives Yen a unique skill set.

Jiang Wen

Our one brief glimpse at Jiang Wen shows him running toward a fight, blaster in hand. The trailer makes it look to be the same battle that includes Imperial Walkers attacking, which means he doesn’t lack for courage. The one shot does seem to confirm the information that we do have about his character. Rumors have said that he is the team’s resident gun enthusiast. He’s said to have as many concealed weapons on his body as he has visible ones. He may turn out to be one of our favorites.

"Death Trooper"

And finally, we have the new Stormtrooper design for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. While their official name is unknown, they’re being referred to as "Death Troopers." These characters seem like the most intriguing choice. Since the film is set prior to the events of the original Star Wars: A New Hope, inserting a new type of character that we don’t see in that trilogy could feel out of place. Perhaps this movie will be the "end" of the black armored Stormtroopers for some reason. We’re looking forward to finding out.

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Now that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been dissected, examined, and mulled over in just about every conceivable manner, we can begin to move our attention to something else. But fortunately we live in a world where Star Wars movies are coming down the pipe like, well, comic book movies, and don’t even have to leave that far, far away galaxy. Details and information regarding the next installment, the standalone Story film Rogue One, are surfacing and that picture is starting to come into focus.

There are potential SPOILERS for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story below. You’ve been warned. That said, these are also rumors, so you should treat them as such and take them with a grain of salt.

The folks over at Making Star Wars have been all over this beat from the very early going, and through their sources they’ve learned a number of production codenames for various factions of the Star Wars: Rogue One cast, for both heroes and villains. And they’re all weirdly aquatic in nature, but may tells us some things about the characters.

Felicity Jones’ character, who we’ve previously heard may be named Lyra Erso, is codenamed Green Seal Leader, Jiang Wen is referred to as Seal Communicator Blue, Forest Whitaker’s possibly one-legged character is called Eel Commander, and Alan Tudyk, who plays a droid, is being called Seal Droid. As we understand it, these are all good, or at least good-ish guys, but on the villain side, the characters all have codenames relating to sharks, which seems like the appropriate choice.

More than anything what this gives us is a better idea of various teams that may be involved and the hierarchy we’ll see amongst the players. Seals appear to be the good guys, probably the ones who are tasked with stealing the plans for the first Death Star, which we know is the big plot point in Rogue One. But it also looks like, within this, there will be multiple teams, much like how the Rebel Armada is split into various squadrons—Red, Blue, Green, and the rest. Since we expect to spend most of our time here with Felicity Jones’ character, it stands to reason that her team will be the main focus of Rogue One and that she’s the one in charge.

The Eel faction is a bit different. MSW’s post speculates that this means Forest Whitaker’s character is connected to the bounty hunters we’ve heard fit into the story somehow, though they don’t go into specifics at to why. They also speculate that Jiang Wen may also play a bounty hunter, though one with Rebel sympathies. It’s possible that, to obtain the Death Star plans, the Rebels turn to these less than savory characters, which would make sense because they are likely more skilled in things like heists than your average Rebel soldier.

This doesn’t offer much focus, but with each new nugget of information the bigger picture of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story becomes clearer. We’ll find out for sure how all of the pieces fit together when it opens on December 16.

Now that we’ve all seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens and are watching it lay waste to previous box office records, we can turn our attention to the future of the franchise, and next up is the spinoff movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As we’re still eleven months away from that film, details are in relatively short supply, but a new report may reveal the connection between two characters.

There are potential SPOILERS for Rogue One beyond this point, you’ve been warned.

Though we only have rumors about their identities to go on, Mads Mikkelsen and Felicity Jones are set to play big roles in Rogue One, and a new report that popped up on Making Star Wars may indicate a connection between the two. They’ve heard it multiple times, though it remains unverified, so make of this what you will, but it turns out that Mikkelsen may be Jones’ father.

We’ve heard that Mads Mikkelsen plays a character named Galen in Rogue One, and he is said to be a scientist in charge of construction of the first Death Star on the planet Geonosis, where it was built. According this report, he was instrumental in fixing a number of flaws and problems with the design and has become revered for his contributions to the Empire. He’s not, however, a staunch imperial and appears to be in this more for the science than for creating a weapon of mass destruction—he is compared to Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the atomic bomb, in this regard. Wracked with guilt, Galen apparently defects and wants to set things right, and to accomplish this, he turns to his daughter, Felicity Jones, who we’ve heard is named Lyra Erso.

It sounds like Felicity Jones’ character has gone through an evolution as Rogue One came together. At one point early on she was described as a bounty hunter type character (one rumor even said she was Boba Fett’s daughter), but the most recent word we’ve had indicates she’s a Rebel soldier. The plot as we understand it revolves around the theft of the plans for the Death Star that Luke Skywalker and company ultimately use to destroy it, and it’s possible Lyra could be something of a mercenary employed by the Rebel Alliance. Perhaps her father turned to the Rebels to make amends, and he talked her into using her particular set of skills to pull of this heist like no one else can. In the one official photo we’ve seen, she certainly looks like she’s part of a rough-and-tumble crew.

We have a while to wait and see if this pans out, but in the meantime it should be fun and interesting to watch this develop. The first Rogue One trailer will reportedly appear with Captain America: Civil War in May, and the next Star Wars movie opens December 16, 2016.

While Disney and Lucasfilm are busy locking the pieces in place for the Star Wars trilogy that J.J. Abrams is launching with The Force Awakens, including hiring Colin Trevorrow to direct 2019’s Episode IX, the Anthology films are carving out their own little niche. Case in point: Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars: Rogue One just dropped this stunning cast photo at D23… as well as a mess of new details on the upcoming movie:

Pictured in this first-look photo at Star Wars: Rogue One are Felicity Jones (front and center), flanked by Diego Luna, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen, to name just a few. But in a press release for the new film, Disney confirmed several important story details, including proof that this plot will involve resistance fighters who are tapped to steal plans for the Death Star. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced:

In revealing this first look at the Rogue One cast in character, Kennedy and her team revealed several names that we hadn’t heard before. At the moment, the full cast for Star Wars: Rogue One includes:

- Felicity Jones

- Diego Luna

- Ben Mendelsohn

- Donnie Yen

- Jiang Wen

- Forest Whitaker

- Mads Mikkelsen

- Alan Tudyk, who plays a performance-capture character in Rogue One, according to reports, and

- Riz Ahmed

In mapping out the creative team behind Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One, I’m going to defer to the release, which lays out a TON of talent:

Gareth Edwards will have Star Wars: Rogue One in theaters on December 16, 2016.

With all of the emphasis placed on Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and rightfully so, it’s only six months away!), the first so-called Anthology film, Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars: Rogue One, gets overshadowed at times. But it’s trucking right along, going into production later this summer, and ready to bring something different to that far, far away galaxy. Some cool news just hit, indicating the drastically different tone, and it seems Rogue One is going to resemble a gritty war movie.

We knew that Rogue One was going to be substantially different from the other Star Wars films, but sources told JoBlo to expect something much darker. The film they compare it to, tonally, is the Vietnam War drama Hamburger Hill, which is brutal. The rest of the report shares some other tidbits, most confirming things we already know, but they all kind of fit together with this shift to a darker pitch.

The action is indeed set during what the report calls the "Dark Times," between the end of Revenge of the Sith and the beginning of A New Hope, a time when the Empire gradually tightens its sinister grip on the galaxy. This is a time when the Jedi have mostly been wiped out, and those few that remain are generally in hiding (except Kanan from Star Wars Rebels, who’s out there Jedi-ing it up).

We know that the plot revolves around a group trying to steal the plans for the first Death Star the come into play in the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope, but the atmosphere is going to be even more warlike than we already anticipated. Much of the action will reportedly take place on Yavin-4, and in the jungles and on various battlefields, which makes this sound very much like a Vietnam War movie indeed. We’ll have to wait and see if they sing the Mickey Mouse song at the end or not.

The machines and tools of war will also be present and accounted for on both sides, as we’ll get our fill of AT-ATs, X-Wing and Y-Wing Fighters, and AT-STs, as well as traditional old school strormtroopers. And just so you don’t think this is only going to be a bunch of human rebels running around, there are going to be all kinds of new droids and aliens playing a part in the action, including the Mon Calamari—let’s hope they go with practical effects instead of motion capture for that one. A new droid apparently even plays a key part in the heist of the blueprints, though there is no word on specifically how. And though we don’t know her precise role, it also looks like star Felicity Jones is going to play an important part in the war effort (duh). Her character is "seen dressed as a rebel soldier ready for battle," and it certainly appears that she’s going to get in there and mix things up.

As a standalone film, we knew this was going to be something very different from the Episode movies and what we’ve come to expect from Star Wars. But taking all of this intel into consideration, this is shaping up to be even more of a departure than anticipated. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla), Star Wars: Rogue One is set to shine the light into a dark new corner of that far, far away galaxy on December 16, 2016.

There’s a fair amount of mystery still swirling around Star Wars: Rogue One, even after the panel hosted by Gareth Edwards at Star Wars Celebration. We know that Edwards is directing the heist story about a team retrieving Death Star plans. At the moment, Felicity Jones has been cast, and the project – from what we hear – might have circled her co-stars.

According to Variety, the Star Wars: Rogue One team is looking at Nightcrawler co-star Riz Ahmed to play the lead male role in the Star Wars spinoff movie. At the same time, The Wrap adds that The Hunger Games standout Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair) also is up for a role in the growing ensemble. Sources couldn’t tell the trade site who Ahmed or Claflin would play, though Variety did note that Ahmed "likely" would play a rebel soldier, which is what we believe Jones would play, as well.

Ahmed’s most recent part was that of Rick, an entrepreneurial camera man who got in with the wrong people – well, person – when he took a job combing the streets of Los Angeles with the predatory Louis Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) in Nightcrawler. It was a striking turn in a dark and somber movie, and Ahmed held his own opposite Gyllenhaal and against the cool and stylish scene design by writer/director Dan Gilroy.

Claflin, meanwhile, has dabbled in large-scale blockbuster fare. In addition to the Hunger Games movies, he played a part in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean films, and acted in Snow White and the Huntsman.

We learned a good amount regarding Star Wars: Rogue One at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. Gareth Edwards took to the stage to fill fans in on the plans to expand Star Wars beyond the normal Saga, which will be contained to J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson’s films. Set in the years between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, this films is being positioned as an action-packed heist film. It’s also believed to be an ensemble film, so we expect to hear more names added to the cast sheet before too long.

Star Wars fans barely had enough time to pick their jaws up off of the floor from the reveal of the second full trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens when they then received official news on Gareth Edwards’ non-saga film, Rogue One. So, what will it be about?

This has been the rumored plot of Evans’ film for quite some time. There were hints that it was going to be a heist film, with familiar characters from the Star Wars universe popping up as part of an Ocean’s 11 team to infiltrate the Death Star and steal the plans that eventually are used by the Rebels to blow up the Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope .

To that end, while appearing on stage at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, Rogue One director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) confirmed that this chapter will take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and will lean as close as he can to Hope, as it is his favorite film of all time.

The title treatment looked like this:

What else did Gareth Edwards reveal at Star Wars Celebration? It was clarified that John Knoll of ILM came up with the idea behind Rogue One, and pitched it to producer Kathleen Kennedy, who immediately greenlit it. She said there was no way she could turn that "really cool idea" down. Edwards said that because it takes place after Sith, there are very few Jedi, so this really is a story of heroes with no "magical powers" who somehow have to bring hope to the galaxy in a time of turmoil. Edwards said:

It was made clear that the films directed by Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank are going to be Non-Saga films, meaning that they do not connect to the trilogy of films helmed by J.J. Abrams and, later, Rian Johnson. There was a lot of conversation behind the scenes, even with George Lucas, about how these films would stand out. The idea behind these movies is that Star Wars is a place, as much as it is a story, and several threads can be going on in different parts if the same universe. The Anthology Films will explore those offshoots.

Star Wars: Rogue One is due in theaters in December 2016.

The first spinoff Star Wars film now has a title. Rogue One will be the first official solo, standalone Star Wars film.

That’s not all. Rogue One will be helmed by Godzilla director Gareth Edwards, and Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) has been confirmed to star. The film will begin production this summer in London, and is scheduled to reach theaters on December 16, 2016.

Here’s everything that we know about Rogue One. The story will build from an idea hatched by John Knoll, longtime visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. Disney states that this will be the first film in "a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga." Edwards was handed the reign to this solo Star Wars film months ago (though it’s only now just being confirmed). And as we reported earlier, Chris Weitz (Cinderella) will handle the screenwriting duties.

Rogue One likely references the title given to Rogue Leader, or the commander of the Rebel Alliance's most elite starfighter squadron, Rogue Squadron. The title is one of honor and respect, and is usually handed out to the best pilot in the Defense Force. There have been multiple Rogue Leaders over the years, from Wedge Antilles to Tycho Celchu, though none have been quite as famous as a certain Jedi you might have heard of: Luke Skywalker.

Naturally, with each piece of new information, we open up a fresh can of interesting questions. There’s no mention in the wave of new information as to where and when on the established Star Wars timeline that Rogue One will take place. We have been hearing for a while that the solo Star Wars movies would be prequels, using younger versions of classic characters like Boba Fett and Han Solo. (Not Luke Skywalker, interestingly, though he’d fit nicely in a movie about the Rebel Alliance.) However, that hasn’t been confirmed about this being a prequel, so all that we know is that Felicity Jones will be involved, and we can expect more casting to come later.

We were beyond excited by this shot in the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

Can you imagine a whole movie filled with X-Wing action? We can hardly wait.

With J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the final stretch, so much of Disney’s attention will turn to the first of the planned solo, standalone films that had been farmed out to upcoming talents. Godzilla director Gareth Edwards goes first, and the recent rumors that he way eyeing Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany might have been premature.

THR now goes on record to say that Felicity Jones, currently enjoying an Oscar nomination for The Theory of Everything, is "in talks to star in the project" as the female lead. Jones could star alongside Aaron Paul and/or Edgar Ramirez, both of whom are in the running for the male lead.

Felicity Jones has been a sought-after talent ever since breaking on the scene in Drake Doremus’ indie weeper Like Crazy. Though she is no stranger to blockbusters, having held down a small role in last summer’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, she’s currently best recognized for playing Jane Hawking, wife of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, in the Oscar nominated The Theory of Everything.

Often, actors are able to translate Oscar heat into significant feature-film roles, though landing the lead in a Star Wars spinoff is, pardon the pun, in its own galaxy. There is no confirmation regarding who Felicity Jones would play in this solo movie. THR merely confirms that there have been a series of hush-hush test and readings. Earlier, our own Joseph Baxter floated five possibilities as to who the female lead in Gareth Edwards’ story could be. Scan that list to refresh your memory.

Aaron Paul’s name has been mentioned in conjunction with this project before, with his status actually being attached to the role of a young Han Solo. He has shot this theory down on social media, and yet, THR links him once again to the project. Seeing as how Michael Fassbender’s name also has been linked to this project as of late, I wonder if Disney is lining up a series of all-star talents to carry this first solo film?

Will it happen? This is closer to a full report than we have seen in chat rooms and message boards prior to this announcement. If THR trusts its sources, I’m guessing we’ll hear confirmation from Disney and Lucasfilm shortly. Gareth Edwards will have to begin shooting soon to keep this untitled Star Wars film on track for its announced Dec. 16, 2016 release date.

The original Star Wars trilogy was pretty damn light when it came to female characters, with the most prominent being Princess Leia, Jabba's slave girl Oola, and the rebellion leader Mon Mothma. The new generation of films - starting with Daisy Ridley's key role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens - looks to completely change that record, however, and apparently that includes the upcoming spin-off movie that will be directed by Gareth Edwards. There's a key role for an actress to play in the movie and apparently three big candidates for the part are Rooney Mara, Felicity Jones and Tatiana Maslany.

This news has come our way from The Hollywood Reporter, though, as you might imagine, there aren't many other details about the project currently available. We've previously heard rumors that the movie could follow the adventures of a young Han Solo, or perhaps be about the theft of the original Death Star plans, but nothing has been confirmed, and we don't know exactly what kind of role the lead female character may have. But let's take a closer look at the candidates, shall we?

Most of us really first got to know Rooney Mara when she played the small role of Mark Zuckerberg's ex-girlfriend in David Fincher's The Social Network, but it was her follow-up work with the director that really got people's attention. Starring as Lisbeth Salander in Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo remake earned her an Academy Award nomination and immediately got the message across that she is one of the most talented young actresses in Hollywood. According to THR, she'll be testing for the Star Wars role later this week.

Speaking of Oscar nominations, Felicity Jones is actually in this year's Academy Awards race thanks to her performance opposite the also-nominated Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything. She does already have some blockbuster experience on her resume, playing the mysterious Felicia in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - but it's also worth noting that she may have a conflict that will prevent her from being in Gareth Edwards' Star Wars spin-off. She is already attached to star in Ron Howard's upcoming Dan Brown adaptation Inferno, and because that's scheduled to film in the spring and summer there may be a scheduling issue.

Finally we have Tatiana Maslany, who hasn't gotten the Academy's attention just yet, but has gotten a Golden Globe nomination for her work on Orphan Black. The Canadian actress has spent a great deal of her career on television, but does have a few noteworthy film credits, including David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises and Michael Sucsy's The Vow and George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead.

Apparently the search for a star for the first Star Wars spin-off movie actually began last month in the U.K., but the search has now come to the United States, and Rooney Mara, Felicity Jones and Tatiana Maslany are three of many actresses who are being looked at. We should be hearing a lot more about the project in the coming weeks and months, so be sure to stay tuned.