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‘Rogue One: Catalyst’ Set To Explain Backstory Of New ‘Star Wars’ Film

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 06:31 PST, Oct 23, 2016

A novel set to be released next month, Rogue One: Catalyst, will shed new light on the Star Wars galaxy, setting up the events of the highly anticipated first standalone film to take place in a galaxy far, far away a month before it hits theaters.

Written by longtime Star Wars author James Luceno, Catalyst acts as a backstory for Rogue One, much like last year’s Aftermath set the stage for The Force Awakens. Aftermath gave fans their first look at the events which transpired following the destruction of the second Death Star, thereby establishing the broad framework of the universe in The Force Awakens through the eyes of new characters. Fans are already well familiar with the world in which Rogue One takes place, however, so Catalyst will lead into the film in a very different way, by introducing characters set to appear onscreen just a few weeks after the novel’s release.

Catalyst focuses on two main characters, both of whom will be central to the events of Rogue One. Galen Erso, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is a genius scientist who is key to the Empire’s plans for the Death Star. Imperial officer Orson Krennic, by contrast, is the “mastermind” of the project, as USA Today notes, and he needs Galen to bring the terrifying superweapon to fruition.

Pablo Hidalgo, a creative executive who works within Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Story Group, noted that the novel would put a human face on the events leading up to the construction of the Death Star, revealing the story of its architects and their motivations. According to him, Lucasfilm looked to the battle station’s closest real-life analog while focusing on the story of its creators.

“It’s no accident that we’ve taken a look at the Manhattan project and what was happening at Los Alamos laboratories during the tail end of World War II. Being able to look at that kind of thing through history and then apply the Star Wars filter to it is really fascinating.”

While Jyn Erso is the central character in Rogue One, she is first introduced in Catalyst, according to IGN. She is a child during the events of the novel, however, as it takes place during the Clone Wars. Hidalgo noted that unlike other heroines in Star Wars, Jyn is well aware of her past, and this fact gave the story group a unique opportunity to create a novel that deeply complements the upcoming film with which it is paired, at least when it comes to the heroine.

“You start to see puzzle pieces start to connect and you’ll understand things about Jyn from reading this book that you might not have otherwise.”

In addition to revealing aspects of Jyn’s character, Catalyst will prominently feature the rest of Galen’s family, including his wife, Lyra. Longtime Star Wars fans will also be pleased to note that one of the saga’s earliest onscreen villains, Grand Moff Tarkin, will have a large role to play in the novel. Last year, reports circulated that Lucasfilm was working to digitally recreate Tarkin for Rogue One, since actor Peter Cushing passed away in 1994, but as the Inquisitr has previously noted, those reports remain an unconfirmed part of the Rogue One rumor mill.

Fans can read an exclusive excerpt of Rogue One: Catalyst at USA Today ahead of its November 15 release, just one month before its namesake film hits theaters.

[Featured Image by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios]

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