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'Rogue One' rebels on DVD & Blu-ray on April 4

Posted Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 2:31 PM Central

by John Couture

From a galaxy far, far away to your living room, Disney has set April 4 as the release date for the DVD and Blu-ray of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The latest Star Wars film debuted in theaters on December 16 and has earned over $527 million at the box office to date, good enough for the seventh-highest total of all time.

The Star Wars franchise is responsible for four of the top-ten box office hits of all time, including the highest-grossing film of all time The Force Awakens ($936.7 million). I guess you could say that Disney has already gotten its money's worth after buying LucasFilm from George Lucas for $4 billion back in 2012.

Rogue One is the first in a series of "stand-alone" Star Wars films that focuses on stories within its expansive universe that don't necessarily tie in to the established Skywalker films of the three trilogies. That said, Rogue One takes place right before the events of the original Star Wars film and features several familiar faces.

Next year, Disney presents its second "stand-alone" film called Han Solo, which chronicles the adventures of a younger Han Solo before we meet him in Star Wars. So, you could say that Disney is being wise by not straying too far from the familiarity of the films that helped to establish Star Wars as the most lucrative franchise in film history.

Disney has yet to jump on the 4K UHD Blu-ray bandwagon, so the initial release will only include a DVD version with a SRP of $29.99 and a Blu-ray version with a SRP of $39.99. According to LucasFilm's "The Star Wars Show" there will also be a 3D Blu-ray, but Disney has yet to pass along information on that to us. As in past releases, I am sure certain retailers will have exclusives or limited edition artwork, but the standard artwork is below.

The bonus features on the Blu-ray include:

  • A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.

  • Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.

  • Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.

  • K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.

  • Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.

  • Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary – Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.

  • The Empire – Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary…and cross paths once more with the most iconic villain of all time.

  • Visions of Hope: The Look of “Rogue One” – The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the original trilogy.

  • The Princess & The Governor – See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of Star Wars: A New Hope – as well as one of her most memorable foes­ – back to the screen.

  • Epilogue: The Story Continues – Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue One’s premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star Wars stories yet to be told.

  • Rogue Connections – Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that connect Rogue One to the Star Wars universe.

It appears that Disney's release strategy of one Star Wars film a year is a success. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the next film in the Skywalker saga, is due in theaters on December 15, 2017, while Han Solo is still set for the quick turn-around release of May 25, 2018. Don't be surprised if you hear in the near future that it has been pushed back to December 2018 to get more in line with their new release schedule.

Speaking of Han Solo, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this. The film is officially in production and they shared a picture of the cast and directors in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.