Go Behind the Scenes of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Director Gareth Edwards gathers on-set with Donnie Yen, Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna and Jiang Wen. “Everyone knows deep down that if we do our job properly, people are going to watch [our movie] 10, 20 times. And so you’ve got to make it work for the 10th time you see it,” he says.

Bistan mans the gun on a Rebel U-wing. Nicknamed Space Monkey, he is an alien from the Iakaru species.

Ben Mendelsohn storms the beach as Director Orson Krennic. The costume department based the actor’s white uniform on an unnamed Empire official from A New Hope but with one important addition. “A cape is a big deal,” Mendelsohn says. “If you’re wearing a cape in the Empire, you’re happening.”

As the blind warrior-monk Chirrut Îmwe, Donnie Yen wore uncomfortable contact lenses that he could tolerate for only a few hours. He used a less irritating pair for wide shots and fight scenes, but they still limited his vision. “These elements could be a risk factor for both sides — for myself as well as for some of the stormtroopers,” Yen says, laughing.

A helicopter films an aerial shot on a beach in the Maldives — one of many complicated location setups. “A film is probably the result of 5,000 decisions, if not a million,” Edwards says.

Moroff looks suitably fluffy.

Jones prepares for action.

Stormtroopers fall in line.

Warwick Davis, who has played characters in Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, and The Force Awakens, is back for Rogue One.

Ben Daniels (who plays General Merrick) keeps his sense of humor.

“It’s hard to get intimidated when you can constantly look left and see a stormtrooper or look right and see an X-wing,” says Edwards (here with Jones and Luna). “It just feels like you’re at home again, like you’re a child.”

Rebel soldier Pao (a.k.a. Bigmouth) is a platoon leader of sorts. “There was this great design of this creature [whose] mouth would open really wide, and he looked like he was really good at giving orders and shouting at people during a battle,” Edwards has said.

Jones and Luna make a run for it.

Stormtroopers go in for the kill.