Rogue One (2016) (with Jonathan Wroot)

Episode 97 of the podcast takes on the intergalactic conflicts and rebel alliances of Rogue One (Gareth Edwards, 2016), an anthology feature film and prequel to Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) that tells the origin story of the ‘Rogue One’ starfighter squadron and the creation of the Death Star. Special guest for this episode is Dr Jonathan Wroot, who is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Film Studies at the University of Greenwich. Jonathan has published research on home media formats and Asian cinema distribution, including the co-edited collection entitled New Blood: Framing 21st Century Horror (2021) and his recent monograph on the Zatoichi film and TV franchise. He has also contributed to the podcast series Beyond Japan and Second Features, as well as the 2022 Japan Touring Film Programme. Listen as they discuss Jedis, the Jidaigeki (時代劇) period film, and longstanding East Asian influences upon the Star Wars saga; the relationship between Zatoichi the blind swordsman and Rogue One’s own blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe; hope, alliance, and the religious structures of Gareth Edwards’ spin-off story; the generic implications of ‘the Force’ upon science-fiction/fantasy distinctions via questions of rationality; digital de-aging technologies and the virtual recreation of youth; and the challenges of Rogue One to expand the Star Wars brand by taking spectators back into the fictional world of Hollywood’s most famous space fantasy. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo** **This episode was produced and edited by Leon Waldo**