"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is launching this month and will further expand the "Star Wars" universe by exploring the lore behind the construction of the first Death Star. However, despite the amount of spin-offs that can be derived from this setting, Lucasfilm now confirms there are no plans for an immediate sequel.
According to the latest issue of Empire Magazine (via /Film), Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stated "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."
Chief Creative Officer and former Special Effects Supervisor John Knoll supported this statement and claimed the movie was always designed to be a self-contained entry. Knoll is also the man responsible for the concept of the film and how it plays as a spin-off but also as a prequel to the original 1977 "Star Wars."
The film's director, Gareth Edwards, explained that any sequel to the movie would be a film directed by George Lucas himself, further implying it ties directly to the first film. This would eliminate the need for a "Rogue Two" movie.
In the original movie, the Death Star plans already made their way to Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) who then kept those plans in R2-D2. The whole plot of the original 1977 film revolved around those plans to destroy the massive battle station.
Cinema Blend states that a sequel might be difficult to develop not only because of how the movie leads directly to the original but because many "Rogue One" characters are expected to die.
This was hinted at in the original film although specific names and events were not stated.
However, this does not immediately rule out other films set within the same time period. As the report states there may not be a direct sequel to "Rogue One" involving the same characters but a different film centered on other aspects of the Rebel Alliance's war against the Empire could be made.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" will hit cinemas on Dec.16.