The Force returns to Hollywood
FANS cheered wildly as the star-studded world premiere of the hotly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story continued the space saga after the last episode shattered box office records.
The $200-million (R2.7-billion) spin-off is expected to be this year’s hottest ticket, recording the second-highest first day of domestic pre-sales ever, after last year’s The Force Awakens.
Police cordoned off the area around the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood hosting almost 3 000 guests on Saturday, setting up metal detectors and deploying sniffer dogs.
“I feel honoured to be part of this family, and by that I mean the fans, not just the filmmakers,” British actor Riz Ahmed, who stars as pilot Bodhi Rook, said ahead of the screening. “They keep this alive.” Set just before A New Hope – the original 1977 film – Gareth Edwards’s Rogue One stars Felicity Jones as rebel Jyn Erso alongside Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker.
As well as the cast and crew, celebrities including actors Michael Douglas and Christian Bale and maverick filmmaker Kevin Smith walked the red carpet at the premiere.
The original Star Wars (1977) and its 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back turned Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill into Hollywood’s biggest stars. – AFP