“Rebellions are built on hope.”
Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) says this to rally her fellow rebels in the second official “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” trailer. Erso will definitely need hope if she and her team have any chance of stealing the plans to the Death Star, which her father (Mads Mikkelsen) just happened to build.
The latest “Rogue One” trailer suggests that the newest installment of the “Star Wars” franchise will broaden the universe’s overall mythology. We find out that Erso has been a prisoner of the Empire ever since her father, Galen, faced off with Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), an apparent member of Darth Vader’s inner circle. We also discover that Galen is the one responsible for the Death Star, the ubiquitous “super weapon,” although it’s unclear whether he is working for or against the Empire. Either way, it’s apparent that, like George Lucas’s original trilogy and its prequels and J.J. Abrams’ “The Force Awakens,” the complex relationship between fathers and their children is large part of “Rogue One’s” DNA.
The second trailer dropped today, right on the heels of Comic Book Resource’s report that Jones is the highest-paid “Rogue One” actor. “It looks like Jones received a payday proportional to the massive Disney film,” CBR writes. “THR’s feature article on Jones reveals that ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ gave Jones her biggest paycheck to date — reportedly a seven figure one. The unnamed source also says that Jones was the highest paid cast member by far.” While CBR also mentions that this “makes sense,” it’s disappointing that Jones being paid the most because she is the film’s lead is news at all.
The Hollywood gender pay gap is as stubbornly present as ever, but considering “The Force Awakens’” critical and financial success — and the popularity of its female protagonist, Rey — it’s clear that a female character can carry the “Star Wars” franchise to box office glory, and the actress playing her should be paid accordingly.
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opens December 16. Check out the new trailer and the movie’s official poster:
