The movie hasn’t even come out yet, but rumors of a possible Rogue One sequel are already swirling. That makes some sort of sense of course, seeing as the entire franchise from which this spinoff “standalone story” was born is based entirely upon a sequel/prequel system. Judging from the already-released trailers and some early details, it seems Rogue One even has the familial connections and intimidating enemies that can be used to build a long, successful franchise centered around characters like Jyn Erso and her motley crew.
According to comments made by the head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy to Empire magazine however (as noticed by /Film), the chances of Rogue One getting a second installment are slim to none. Kennedy insists that whether or not the movie makes billions at the box office, there will be no second adventure for the thieving space gang. In her comments in Empire‘s December issue, Kennedy insists that this heist movie is officially a one-off and there is no chance of another go-round — even if a team is required to steal the second Death Star plans as well (although a standalone movie about the bothans responsible for that could be interesting too!).
Director Gareth Edwards agreed, seemingly turning down another massive paycheck before he was even officially offered one. Edwards claims that if there were to be another movie after Rogue One, “that sequel will be directed by George Lucas,” which pretty much cements this as a prequel. Whether this interview confirms the theory circulating that this movie will be standalone because none of the main characters live past the ending or not remains to be seen. However, it might be nice to have a true sequel-less blockbuster in Hollywood for once — no reversals based on box office success or failure possible.
(via /Film)
