Disney is wasting no time ramping up excitement for the next installment in the Star Wars saga. Just days after the DVD and Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the studio has unveiled a brief teaser trailer for the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The trailer begins in the Rebel Alliance's base on Yavin IV, where protagonist Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) has a meeting with Mon Mothma, the Rebel leader who was initially introduced during the briefing scene in Return of the Jedi. It just so happens that Mothma is interested in learning more about the Empire's latest weapon, tasking Erso with gathering information that will help the Rebels destroy the newly-finished Death Star—the same data that eventually ends up in R2-D2's databanks in A New Hope.
Subsequent shots reveal flashes of major battle scenes in the movie, introducing us to a new cast of characters while Forrest Whitaker delivers a stirring monologue about the dangers of rebellion. Rogue One takes places during the height of the Empire's rule, so there are plenty of Stormtroopers (some with bizarre new helmets) on patrol, accompanied by an imposing Imperial Officer who wears a cape. However, from the looks of it, Erso won't be embarking on her mission alone—we see brief glimpses of her sidekick (Diego Luna), a man who can take down Stormtroopers with a staff (Donnie Yen) and a bearded fighter (Jiang Wen) participating in a beachfront battle with towering AT-AT walkers.
The final shot is a tantalizing tease of the grand heist that will likely cap off the movie, depicting Erso disguised in an Imperial uniform. Rumors are already flying that Erso could be the mother of The Force Awakens protagonist Rey. We're not so sure, but they both seem to have a similar distaste for authoritarian rule and a willingness to dive into battle.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be the first film in the franchise that does not follow the Skywalker family, kicking off a series of stand-alone films that will be released every two years. Gareth Edwards, who previously helmed the 2014 Godzilla reboot, directed the movie, which be released on December 16, 2016.