Filming Begins on Lucasfilm's 'Rogue One'... First Cast Photo!

Lucasfilm has announced that filming has begun on "Rogue One," described as the first in a series of Star Wars standalone stories.

The film stars Felicity Jones ("The Theory of Everything"), Diego Luna ("Milk"), Ben Mendelsohn (TV's "Bloodline"), Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, filmmaker Jiang Wen ("Let the Bullets Fly"), Forest Whitaker ("The Butler"), Mads Mikkelsen ("Casino Royale"), Alan Tudyk ("Trumbo"), and Riz Ahmed ("Nightcrawler").

Directed by Gareth Edwards ("Monsters"), "Rogue One" is about resistance fighters united to swipe the plans to the Death Star.

According to producer Kathleen Kennedy, "Rogue One" takes 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. It goes 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."

The first cast photo, released during the 2015 D23 Expo fan event, reveals a dark and edgy look.

The film releases on December 16, 2016.