Star Wars: 30 Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Completely Change Rogue One

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a massive critical and financial success. It performed incredibly well at the box office and many consider it to be the best of the newer Star Wars movies.

It captures the spirit of the original trilogy and ties into those stories in meaningful ways.

At the same time, Rogue One definitely has its own unique characters, story, and overall feel to it. It told the story of the Rebel Alliance's first major victory over the Galactic Empire when they stole the Death Star plans, a story that's been teased ever since the opening scrawl of the original Star Wars in 1977.

Popular characters like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin reappeared, while compelling new characters like Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor were introduced.

Behind-the-scenes photos always offer more insight into the making of a movie, but this is even more the case with Rogue One than other movies. Because of Rogue One's extensive reshoots, behind-the-scenes photo can capture significant scenes that didn't make it into the final version of the movie.

The trailers and interviews hinted at what some of these scenes entailed, but the photos provide even more clues.

With a science-fiction movie like Rogue One, the photos are also special with the glimpse into how the droids, aliens, planets, and action-packed scenes all end up looking so impressive on the big screen. They also depict the many moving pieces of a blockbuster film and dynamics between cast and crew.

Let's take a look at the 30 Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Completely Change Rogue One.

Even though this scene wasn't in the final version of the movie, the photo will look familiar to many fans as its accompanying scene was featured in the trailers.

Before the extensive reshoots, Jyn and Cassian had to dash across the beaches of Scarif with the physical Death Star plans.

At the time, where the Death Star plans were stored and where they needed to be transmitted to the Rebel fleet were in two separate locations on Scarif.

Among the many changes in the reshoots, where the plans were held and where they could be transmitted were condensed into the single location of the Citadel Tower.

This change was made due to pacing, making this behind-the-scenes photo and limited footage from the trailers fans' only insight into Jyn and Cassian's mad dash across the beaches of Scarif.

Another memorable shot from the trailers that didn't make it into the final movie was Director Orson Krennic walking through the shallow waters of Scarif, his white cape dragging behind him.

This probably aligned with Jyn and Cassian running across the beaches of Scarif in order to transmit the plans to the Rebel fleet.

The memorable shot from the trailers and this behind-the-scenes photo shows that Krennic would've pursued Jyn and Cassian, intent on stopping them before the plans could be transmitted.

While this was changed for pacing, it certainly seems like it would've made for a thrilling chase sequence, made even more intense as it happens in the middle of a raging war zone.

K-2SO looks great in the finished product of Rogue One, but can appear quite different behind-the-scenes.

This photo reveals what Alan Tudyk looked like in his motion capture suit in order to bring K-2SO to life. The face of K-2SO is raised above Tudyk's head because K-2SO is actually significantly taller than the actor himself.

Here, Tudyk is seen holding the same pack Jyn hands K-2SO in the movie before intentionally dropping it on the ground.

It's neat to see how Tudyk's movements were captured in order to make K-2SO a reality onscreen.

Moroff is one of Saw Gerrera's Partisans on Jedha. This photo shows the character's costume being attended to while filming Scarif scenes.

In the movie, neither Moroff nor any of the other Partisans participate in the Battle of Scarif.

It's intriguing to think that at one point Moroff and some of the other surviving Partisans from Jedha might've fought alongside the Rebel Alliance during the Battle of Scarif.

Considering that the Scarif scenes were filmed in the Maldives, it's a shame Moroff's scenes were cut given how beastly hot it must have been to sit on there in that shaggy, white costume.

Rogue One recaptured the spirit of the original trilogy by using a lot of real, practical effects while filming.

They still used cutting-edge technology and certain scenes employ CGI, but they also relied on practical effects when they could.

One such moment is pictured above during the Battle of Scarif.

Using practical effects instead of green screen in moments like this restored fans' faith that even behind-the-scenes Rogue One was more akin to the original trilogy than the prequel trilogy.

Given Rogue One's critical and financial success, this should embolden filmmakers to use real, practical effects in place of green screen when possible.

While there was mixed reception to a younger Leia appearing at the end of Rogue One via motion capture and CGI, the original Leia herself approved.

When shown the footage, Carrie Fisher thought it was from her days of playing Leia during the original trilogy. Fisher was impressed to learn it was actually computer generated and gave the seal of approval that really counted.

This photo reveals what the young woman-- Ingvild Deila-- looked like while in the midst of making young Leia a reality.

Ending the movie with Leia provided some much needed hope and tied in perfectly with the beginning of A New Hope. This is a glimpse of the woman and technology that made it happen.

At first glance, this photo looks like a group of Stormtrooper cosplayers traveling home on public transit after a long day at a fan convention.

It is actually a behind-the-scenes photo as some scenes within the interior of Scarif's Imperial base were actually filmed in London's Canary Wharf station.

The scenes involved a lot of running for the Stormtroopers, so they were naturally pretty tired.

It's a delight to see elements of Star Wars clashing with the real world. It's even better when this clash was part of making an actual Star Wars movie.

Rogue One has no shortage of emotional scenes, but the moment where Jyn reunites with her father after years apart only to have him perish seconds later might take the cake.

Such an emotional scene can already be a challenge to movie.

It's even more of a challenge to make the moment feel as intimate as it needs to be with rain pouring down, cameras and lights in your face.

It's a testament to the acting of Felicity Jones that she can make the scene feel so personal and powerful given what it was actually like to film.

Even for fans who saw Rogue One multiple times and loved the movie, there's a chance they don't know Bistan, the Iakaru soldier serving within the Rebel Alliance.

Bistan was not among the Rogue One crew that defied Alliance orders and traveled to Scarif anyway, but arrived later with the reinforcements sent to help Jyn and company succeed in their mission.

Bistan was a gunner with the Blue Squadron that entered Scarif before the shield gate closed.

This photo makes it fun to think about how they were working on exactly what Bistan would sound like, look like, and move, while serving as a Blue Squadron gunner during the Battle of Scarif.

Blind and using no weapon except a stick, Chirrut Îmwe wowed everyone with his ability to swiftly dispatch a group of Stormtroopers.

Those epic scenes have to be slowed down in order to work, though. That's what's happening in this photo, as Donnie Yen perfects every step of the scene so Chirrut's feats can look just as impressive as they ended up being in the final version of the film.

The photo also changes the way one watches the movie, as Donnie Yen and the gentleman playing the Stormtrooper are surrounded by so many individuals who obviously aren't characters in the Star Wars universe.

It shows how busy life on a set really is as some watch intently in order to make the scene the best it can be while others hurry past as they have another area of the film to work on.

At six feet tall, Alan Tudyk is not exactly a short individual. The physical design of K-2SO still towers over Tudyk, though.

This photo really shows how tall K-2SO is supposed to be. It's apparent in some of the scenes where he's next to Cassian or Jyn, but in a photo side-by-side K-2SO's height really stands out.

It also helps fans appreciate how, if he didn't have such a quirky sense of humor and wasn't reprogrammed to be on the side of the "good guys," K-2SO could be a pretty intimidating adversary in looks alone.

This photo drives home perhaps better than anything that facing a droid of this make that's loyal to the Empire could be pretty terrifying.

There are plenty of Stormtroopers patrolling the streets of Jedha City in the film. No Stormtroopers are seen outside the city, though.

This photo of a Stormtrooper surveying Jedha outside the city hints that this was not always the case.

The Empire's primary mission on Jedha was to extract the planet's rich supply of kyber crystals to power the Death Star's superlaser.

Saw Gerrera and his Partisans threatened the Imperial occupation, so it makes sense for Stormtroopers to search for their hidden base.

This photo shows that at one point, there may even have been scenes filmed of Stormtroopers searching for Saw and his Partisans outside the city.

Jyn and Cassian wasted no time on Scarif. Once disguised as officers and soldiers within the Empire, they immediately entered the Citadel Tower in order to steal the Death Star plans.

This behind-the-scenes photo may just be Felicity Jones and Diego Luna talking between takes, but it's interesting to consider that at one point Jyn and Cassian might've had an opportunity to share banter during their mission to Scarif.

It's hard to imagine where that would fit in as they're focused on blending in and completing the mission or embracing each other as friends on the beaches of Scarif moments before their demises, none of which provides time for banter.

Warwick Davis has been a staple of the Star Wars universe ever since he played Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi.

He's played characters in The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi, Solo, and even did the voice for Rukh in the animated television show Star Wars Rebels.

In Rogue One, he played Weeteef Cyu-Bee, one of Saw Gerrera's Partisans on Jedha. It's fun to see Davis still thoroughly enjoying being part of the Star Wars universe, regardless of the character he plays.

The photo also offers a glimpse at what Davis looked like in full costume, with the mask next to him.

This photo shows the extensive detail, hard work, and number of people that goes into creating each and every set. This part of Scarif is only one of many areas filmed for the battle.

Keeping in mind that this amount of detail, hard work, and number of people goes into creating numerous sets can help audiences appreciate everything that goes into creating a movie like Rogue One.

It's also cool to see this portion of the beaches of Scarif being shaped into what fans ultimately saw in the finished movie.

It's always fun to see a behind-the-scenes look at practical explosions being created. This is one of many that were used to film the Battle of Scarif.

Practical explosions definitely add a sense of realism and urgency to the scenes when filming.

Wen Jiang certainly communicates that with his face, making his sprint away from the explosion even more authentic. He not only has to run, but is actually loaded down with the weapons and gear as well.

It can be a physically draining scene to shoot not only for him, but also for the crew as they're on the movie with their equipment in order to capture the moving action.

The intensity of Baze Malbus during the Battle of Scarif takes on new meaning with this behind-the-scenes photo in mind.

With an alien character like Bistan, there's a lot that goes into physically creating him behind-the-scenes.

This photo offers insight into that work as multiple individuals work to perfect the Iakaru's physical stance and the way he holds his weaponry even when a scene isn't being filmed.

He's a gunner for Blue Squadron during the Battle of Scarif, but he's a character fans might miss if they don't pay close attention.

Regardless, there's still rich detail that goes into every facet of bringing his character to life as numerous individuals examine him from different angles.

Cassian and K-2SO already share a rather amusing dynamic in the movie. The dynamic of Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk in between takes looks like it might be even more amusing than their onscreen characters.

The scenes on the beaches of Scarif were filmed in the Maldives, a hot enough location that Diego Luna would use an umbrella to stay cool when not in the middle of filming a scene.

Cassian doesn't seem like much of an umbrella kind of guy, but Diego Luna definitely is. Alan Tudyk might like an umbrella, but the height of K-2SO's face on his motion capture suit makes that a challenge.

In the finished movie, Cassian enters the Citadel Tower with Jyn and K-2SO.

Except for the very end of the Battle of Scarif, when he and Jyn leave the Citadel Tower after transmitting the Death Star plans to the Rebel fleet, Cassian is inside for the entirety of the battle.

That makes it particularly interesting to see him firing from the trenches in the middle of the fighting.

There's a good chance this scene was from the sequence where he and Jyn had to navigate through the fighting on the beaches as the Death Star plans were in a different location than where they needed to transmit the plans.

It's impossible to tell the story of the Death Star so close to A New Hope without Grand Moff Tarkin.

Of course, this was a considerable challenge considering that the actor who originally brought the character to life-- Peter Cushing-- passed away in 1994.

With permission from Cushing's estate, Rogue One recreated Tarkin through motion capture and CGI.

This photo shows what Guy Henry looked like in the process of using the cutting-edge technology to turn him into Tarkin.

Even without the technology, Henry has a stunning likeness to Tarkin, made even better with motion capture and CGI.

There's a sort of organized urban chaos to the streets of Jedha City, chaos that Jyn and Cassian have to navigate on their mission to find Saw Gerrera.

That sense of organized chaos and Jyn's intuitiveness to navigate it is somewhat diminished when Felicity Jones is being shown how to walk the streets and each element of the urban setting is so carefully constructed ahead of time.

Of course, it is because of this preparation that the scenes look so seamless in the finished movie, even if it looks less authentic in a behind-the-scenes look.

This photo can help audiences appreciate the many facets of filming a moving vehicle.

This is a relatively slow-moving vehicle the Stormtroopers use to patrol the streets of Jedha City and carrying kyber crystals they've extracted from the planet, but its movements are still being captured at multiple angles with many different pieces in play.

Realizing it's this intricate to film a single slow-moving vehicle can make fans understand how complicated it can be to film scenes with numerous vehicles sometimes moving at fast speeds.

In fact, the following scene was probably complicated to film with Saw's Partisans attacking the transport, the Stormtroopers fighting back, Jyn and Cassian and the denizens of Jedha City getting in the middle of it all.

Darth Vader only had two scenes in Rogue One, but he still managed to steal the show.

This photo provides a behind-the-scenes look at his first scene where he confronts Director Krennic on Mustafar.

It's a little disappointing to see Mustafar as a blue screen backdrop, but it's what is necessary to depict a gigantic fortress on a lava planet.

It's still terrifying to see Darth Vader marching towards you, making it all the easier for Ben Mendelsohn to depict Krennic struggling to maintain his composure when faced with Vader.

Felicity Jones is literally squeezed into a pretty tight spot here, but her face still manages to convey so much emotion.

This is in the moments where Saw's Partisans have attacked the Stormtroopers in Jedha City and chaos is erupting.

Jyn is cautiously taking cover, but she's also determined, and not just to survive and complete the mission with Cassian.

In this moment, she sees the sobbing child in the streets caught in the middle of the fighting. Jyn's constant sense of self-preservation slips away for a moment and she clicks into a more compassionate and courageous mode.

The scene is fast-paced in the movie so it's hard to catch her shifting emotions, but this photo captures it in the range of feelings Felicity Jones is able to convey so richly through body language and facial expression.

Moroff isn't even among the most prominently featured of Saw Gerrera's Partisans, but a great deal still went into creating his design.

This photo does a great job of showing that, providing perspective on the size of Moroff's costume and how it was examined and modified with lighting and many different angles in mind.

The Gigoran mercenary has such a distinctive and unique look that it's a shame fans didn't get to see more of his character in the movie, even just when it came to scenes taking place among the Partisans on Jedha.

Bistan is an Iakaru soldier within the Rebel Alliance who ultimately doesn't receive a ton of screen time in Rogue One. The movie never provides as close-up a look of Bistan as this picture does, making it all the more special to see. What audiences can see of his design is impressive and this photo offers a rare look at the most intricate details within that impressive design.

Bistan has understandably been referred to as a "space monkey." This likeness becomes clearer with this close-up view of his face.

This level of practical detail for even a relatively small character's design is what sets Star Wars apart from so many other film franchises.

Behind-the-scenes photos are often fun to look at with the contrast between fully costumed actors and crew members dressed like everyday people.

This photo captures that as actors dressed and armed with the iconic Stormtrooper look march or sprint past crew members.

It seems like a clashing of two universes. Perhaps it feels strange at first and then everyone just becomes used to it.

This photo is also significant in that it's among the scenes filmed inside the Canary Wharf station in London, which makes the mix of Stormtroopers and reguarly dressed folk even more interesting to look at.

It would be easy to overlook many of the details for some of the Rebel soldiers. While this group is part of the Rogue One crew that travels to Scarif, they obviously won't be as closely observed as Jyn and the other core characters among the crew.

Every little detail still counts for them, though, including the weapons designated to use for the Battle of Scarif scenes.

The importance of aesthetic design comes through here as well with how the firearms seem a perfect fit for the Rebel soldiers' uniforms.

With so many individuals walking through the bustling streets of Jedha City, it would be easy to miss this droid walking among the crowd. His walk is still being carefully scrutinized, though.

Even though many fans won't even notice the droid, part of making Jedha City feel real is for each and every individual--no matter how screen-time they receive-- to feel authentic.

If even a passing droid can feel real, then all of Jedha City will feel real. It's all in the details.

Slightly obscured and towards the left the photo also provides a glimpse at Weeteef Cyu-Bee, one of Saw Gerrera's Partisans played by the iconic Warwick Davis.

The relationship between Jyn and Saw Gerrera is crucial to Rogue One. Saw carrying Jyn on a cliff-side is unlike anything that ended up happening in the movie, though.

It's obviously not a flashback to the days of Saw raising Jyn as Felicity Jones is playing an adult Jyn here, but it's certainly intriguing to think about what is happening between them.

It appears like Saw might have been saving Jyn one last time, maybe even when the Death Star fired on Jedha City.

Another sign that this was before the reshoots is that Saw is practically bald here. This was the look he had in the first trailer, but was changed with the full head of hair he sported for the final version of the movie.

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What's your favorite behind-the-scenes photo from Rogue One? Let us know in the comments!

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