So even though ‘Star Wars’ is well known for being part of a vast universe of ongoing stories, each one being either a sequel or prequel to the last, the new anthology films being released, the first being ‘Rogue One‘ have brought the promise of stand-alone films set in the universe to the table, and even though each of those still has the potential for sequels, the president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, recently came out and confirmed that they will not be doing a sequel to ‘Rogue One.’
“I think that’s what makes it exciting. You can just drop into Rogue One and not feel like you’re being pulled along into something you need to make a commitment to. It means anything can happen.”
This is confirmed by similar comments by ‘Rogue One’ director Gareth Edward who said that the only sequel that exists was already directed by George Lucas, pointing out that ‘A New Hope’ is the film that immediately follows ‘Rogue One’ chronologically, and builds on everything that ‘Rogue One’ will set up. And it makes a lot of sense for ‘Rogue One’ to truly stand alone, as based on the darker tone and the rumors that most of the main characters will not survive to the end (hence why we never see them again in the ‘Star Wars’ universe), there would be no way to make a sequel, and if they all do make the ultimate sacrifice to get those plans to the rebellion, any sequel might just tarnish their story. I like the idea of this being a one-shot, and it gives real stakes to the story, as no character has that shield of “well they have to survive because we know they are going to be in the sequel” making every battle that much more intense and thrilling, knowing any character could really and truly be about to die.
What do you think about Kennedy’s announcement? Do you think it is a nice idea, but unlikely to be true if ‘Rogue One’ turns out to be a bonafide hit? (i.e. there’s no way Disney would not make a sequel if ‘Rogue One’ makes a lot of money) Share your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!
Source: Empire
