New video takes you behind the scenes of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — New footage from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was shown to 4,000 fans at the “Star Wars Celebration” in London Friday, including the first glimpse at Darth Vader’s anticipated appearance in the film.

Director Gareth Edwards and cast members also revealed new details about the production of the film, which is set before “A New Hope” and tells the tale of rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star from the Empire.

It is the first of a series of standalone films planned for release between entries in the new trilogy that began with last year’s “The Force Awakens.”

The first trailer released in April hinted at Vader’s presence. Producers have since confirmed that the villain does appear in the film and legend James Earl Jones returned to voice the character.

“We just looked at each other and had this nerdgasm,” Edwards said Friday of the first time he and a sound technician heard Jones recording dialogue for the movie. Edwards also spoke of nerve-wracking encounters with Mark Hamill and George Lucas when they visited the set.

The new footage of Vader has not made its way onto the internet (yet), but three minutes of behind-the-scenes video from filming were released online Friday, along with a new poster that captures the “war movie” feel of the project and the looming threat of the Death Star.

“Rogue One,” starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whitaker, and more, builds on one line in the opening crawl of “A New Hope.” John Knoll, a digital effects innovator at Industrial Light & Magic, had proposed telling the story of the rebel heist in a TV series more than a decade ago, and he pitched it again when the studio was considering ideas for the standalone films.

Some additional details about the characters of “Rogue One” were revealed at the event. Mikkelsen plays a scientist who “invented something so beautiful, so fantastic, that it might change the universe,” and is the father of Jones' character, Jyn Erso. Luna’s character is a rebel intelligence officer.

Riz Ahmed plays an Empire pilot from an occupied planet who is “questioning things.” Alan Tudyk voices a droid, K-2SO, who is “not quite all there.”

“He speaks his mind and says things that could be unsettling. Very honest. If you know any old people, he’s like that,” Tudyk said.

Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the evil Director Krennic, appeared for the panel in costume, flanked by black-armored death troopers. He described his character as smarter and sexier than other “Star Wars” villains.

The first licensed toy from the film was unveiled, a 6-inch figure of Jones as Jyn Erso.

“I feel very privileged to have joined the ‘Star Wars’ doll universe,” Jones said.

The lack of a figure based on Daisy Ridley’s Rey in the initial line of toys from “The Force Awakens” had angered many fans.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is scheduled for release on December 16.