It’s no secret that the Rogue One production had extensive reshoots, most notably around the film’s finale. And with those reshoots occurring after publicity stills and trailers were released, there seems to be something of a disconnect between what Star Wars fans were shown earlier in the year, and what they are finally seeing onscreen this week.
We may never know why those changes were made – films often get rewritten as they shoot, and retooled and reordered in post-production. Indeed it’s not unusual for scenes to be shot specifically for trailers, with no intention of including them in the finished flick. But with Rogue One having more of these moments than most, we’ve selected 10 of the most glaringly obvious from the film’s first official teaser and trailer, so you can see exactly what you are missing.
Though as we are going to discuss stuff that happens throughout the film, BEWARE OF SPOILERS AHEAD…
1. “I Rebel!”
When Mon Mothma tells Jyn Erso about her mission, Jyn responds “This is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel!” Well, she does in the teaser. Not in the movie, in spite of the fact that this is a pretty lengthy scene.
2. Rebel Prisoners
A shot of three rebel pilots being frog-marched through the streets of Jedha in handcuffs. This was an early indication that Rogue One would be darker than previous Star Wars flicks.
3. K-2S0 Meets Jyn
In this exchange excised from the film, K-2S0 tells Jyn “Captain says you are a friend. I will not kill you.” They meet in far more action-packed fashion in the film.
4. “What Will You Become?”
Saw Gerrera never gets to ask Jyn these ominous questions from the teaser: “What will you do when they catch you? What will you do if they break you? If you continue to fight, what will you become?”
5. Jyn in Disguise
Jyn does disguise herself as a member of the Imperial landing crew to break into the Scarif base, but we never get to see this startling shot of her – one that was also used as a promotional still.
6. TIE Fighter
Weirdly, this shot of Jyn running along a platform does appear at the end of the film, but without the TIE Fighter in the background.
7. Canary Wharf
Jyn, Cassian and K-2S0 run for their lives in a scene that was filmed in London’s Canary Wharf underground station. Note the Death Star plans in Jyn’s right hand, meaning that this came from a very different finale to the one that ended up in the film.
8. Beach Battle
In this epic shot, AT-AT Walkers fire at Jyn and Cassian on Scarif beach. The Death Star plans are still in Jyn’s hand, suggesting the sequence probably came after the above shot.
9. Krennic Gets Wet
Another beautiful moment that didn’t make the movie – Krennic walking through the water on Scarif beach, surveying the damage that the Rebels have done to his troops.
10. Vader
This is a biggie. The first full trailer – which made its debut at Star Wars Celebration in the summer – ended with this crowd-pleasing shot of the back of Darth Vader’s head. Yet while he casts a hefty shadow over proceedings in the finished film, this specific moment didn’t make the cut.
So those were 10 major shots that didn’t make it into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. And with several of them looking like absolute doozies, here’s hoping at lease a few appear as deleted scenes or in an extended cut sometime in the future.