Star Wars Rogue One cast confirmed: Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker to star in first spin-off

The film, one of three confirmed Star Wars spin-offs, will tell the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the Death Star

Star Wars: Rogue One cast. Left to Right: Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen (Jonathan Olley ©Lucasfilm 2016)

The cast for the first Star Wars spin-off Rogue One has been confirmed in a first-look photo as the film begins its movie-making mission.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, who has previously helmed Godzilla and Monsters, the film will star Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelssohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk and Riz Ahmed.

Lucasfilm confirmed the movie will tell the story of "resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star."

Due to be released in December 2016, Rogue One is one of three standalone spin-off Star Wars movies announced by Lucasfilm last year, in edition to the three major upcoming Star Wars episode films.

A second spin-off will tell the story of a young Han Solo (Disney)

Rogue One will go “into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know”, according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in a statement.

She added the film will take place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a “departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe”.

Rogue One has just begun filming in Pinewood Studios in the UK, and will be followed by two further spin-off movies. One is due to tell the story of a young Han Solo, while the other is rumoured to focus on bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, the first in a Star Wars trilogy announced by Lucasfilm after it was bought by Disney in 2012, is due to be released in December.

Directed by JJ Abrams, the film will be set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi.

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