It’s no secret that Disney is one of the most dominant companies in the entertainment industry. Among the many properties the Mouse House owns are Marvel and Lucasfilm, the studios behind two of the largest film franchises of all-time. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown exponentially in eight years, collectively grossing $10.2 billion globally since the first Iron Man movie. And Star Wars came back in a massive way last year, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens breaking just about every box office record in the book. Both series are showing no signs of slowing down, with new installments planned through the 2020s for each.
This fall, Disney will look to continue to reap in the benefits by releasing Doctor Strange in November and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story over the holiday season. The marketing campaigns for the two tentpoles are in full effect, and anticipation has been steadily rising. One of the most common practices in the industry is cross-promotion, where the premiere of one film is used as an outlet to promote another from the same studio. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that this is Disney’s intention, and they plan on unveiling the final Rogue One trailer when Doctor Strange opens.
While at Kino Expo International in Moscow (hat tip Star Wars News Net), Elena Brodskaya, marketing director of Disney’s Russian subdivision, broke the news as she discussed the studio’s upcoming film slate. Doctor Strange hits several foreign countries in late October, and will reach U.S. theaters on November 4, 2016. One would have to think that the third Rogue One trailer will debut in conjunction with advanced tickets going on sale, which is what happened in 2015 for Force Awakens.
Now that fans know there’s another preview to look forward to, the conversation will turn to what exactly will be shown. The second trailer that premiered during the summer Olympics did a good job of detailing the time period and main narrative. One concern some will have is Lucasfilm showing too much, but Brodskaya stated that any potential spoilers will be kept under wraps until the movie actually comes out, much like Episode VII. After the first two previews focused more on Jyn Erso and her Rebellion allies, it might be smart for this third one to highlight the Galactic Empire. For instance, we have yet to hear Director Krennic speak.
Speaking of villains, many will obviously be hoping for another glimpse of Darth Vader, who is making his (hopefully) triumphant return to the big screen. As fun as that would be, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lucasfilm held back on the Sith Lord. There’s so much new in Rogue One to push, and the studio would probably be better served continuing to promote those aspects so casual audiences are more familiar with them by the time December rolls around. Just knowing that Vader is in the movie (which has already been established) is enough to excite viewers, so it might be smarter to save any key action bits for the premiere.
[vn_gallery name=”Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016: Rogue One Panel Photos” ]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII on December 15, 2017, the Han Solo Star Wars Anthology film on May 25, 2018, Star Wars: Episode IX in 2019, and the third Star Wars Anthology film in 2020.
