Star Wars: Rogue One World Premiere Set For December 10

With the theatrical release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just under a month away, Lucasfilm has done about all they can do in terms of promoting their latest tentpole. Multiple trailers have excited many, TV spots have teased a hard-hitting war drama, and even new novels are getting fans ready for the first standalone anthology film in the beloved franchise. Anticipation levels are already through the roof, and the only real question that remains unanswered is whether or not the movie is of high quality.

Viewers still have to wait a little bit before the professional reviews start rolling in, but they’ll be able to get an idea of how Rogue One plays to a crowd very soon. Lucasfilm has now set up the world premiere for the movie, and just like last year’s The Force Awakens, it comes a few days before the general public will have a chance to see it.

Twitter user @RandolphCarter1 (hat tip Star Wars News Net) shared an image of the invitation he received from Lucasfilm on social media. Obviously, the key information of the screening’s location is blurred out, but it does say that the premiere will take place the evening of Saturday, December 10. While the host city is unknown, it’s likely the event will be held in Los Angeles, just like the Episode VII premiere.

Fans may recall that Lucasfilm did not lift the review embargo for The Force Awakens until just before it hit the multiplex, but those who attended the premiere were allowed to share their thoughts immediately afterwards on social media. It’s plausible, then, that the strategy will be the same this time around. It would be smart if the studio allowed bite-sized reactions on Twitter following the premiere, since that would be an easy and efficient way to start building buzz and word-of-mouth ahead of its opening to the general public. Rogue One, of course, is not part of the main Skywalker saga, so an enthusiastic response about a week before the theatrical release could sell casual viewers, which would only increase the box office receipts.

While time will tell if Rogue One is a worthwhile trip to the galaxy far, far away, things are shaping up nicely for the film. Lucasfilm is obviously very confident in the project’s ability to strike a chord with viewers, or else they wouldn’t be so inclined to put together a major celebration like this. For all the talk about the movie’s reshoots, most of the marketing materials have sold fans on the idea of the spinoff, and many are in agreement that it has the potential to be a great installment in the series. Rogue One seems to have all the set pieces and emotional character moments audiences expect out of this franchise, and in the near future they’ll be able to see if it lives up to the hype.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Star Wars: Rogue One / Rogue One: A Star Wars Story release date: Dec 16, 2016
Star Wars 8 / Star Wars: Episode VIII release date: Dec 15, 2017
Untitled Han Solo Star Wars Anthology Film release date: May 25, 2018