Despite the fact that it has been kept very tightly under wraps over the last few months, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has slowly but surely become one of the most intriguing upcoming blockbusters. The tale of the mission to steal the plans of the first Death Star has captured our imaginations by promising a story that's far more mature than anything we've seen from the Star Wars saga to date. In fact, a new Russian poster for the film has just hit the web, and it definitely doubles down on that promise of maturity. Check it out below.
The official Russian poster for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just surfaced on Twitter, and it has pretty much set a brand new standard for movie posters going forward. Overall, the artwork appears to depict a massive Imperial invasion on a tropical planet -- which we assume is Scarif. We see the familiar and menacing image of AT-ATs and stormtroopers out in the distance as they close in on a beach. In the foreground of the poster we see a rebel helmet lying in the sand, casting the shadow of the Alliance Starbird symbol. It's a far cry from other Star Wars posters, which have typically become characterized by the layering of specific plot elements (characters, ships, etc.) over a black backdrop.
Aside from the fact that this poster is undeniably beautiful, it also seems to shed quite a bit of light onto the overall tone of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It's visually vibrant, but tonally dark. There's certain stillness to the image of an abandoned helmet in the sand, and it hints at a number of impending deaths for our protagonists. The Star Wars films have always centered around battle and death (the word "war" is right there in the title) but Rogue One will seemingly be the first movie that really focuses on the ramifications of war, and what it does to those who fight.
It's already abundantly clear that Gareth Edwards is aiming for that type of mature story with Rogue One. Check out the most recent trailer for the film to see for yourself:
Although Rogue One continues to be one of the best-kept secrets in Hollywood, everything that we have seen to date promises a truly beautiful adventure. We will bring you more updates related to the next Star Wars film as they become available. The final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will debut with the premiere of Doctor Strange, and the film itself will finally hit theaters later this year on December 16.
