Rogue One’s cast and crew traveled the globe to capture picture-perfect imagery of new planets and locations for this highly anticipated prequel. Many locations are even reexplored in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (watch both to see the parallels)! So put on your X-wing helmet and buckle up for a wild journey as we guide you across the world to see the filming locations of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The movie’s title, according to the creator, has three meanings. The first is a military symbol. The second meaning is a depiction of Jyn’s personality, and the third is that this is the first movie outside of the main series.
Rogue One was directed by Gareth Edwards and released in 2016. The film’s plot revolves around Jyn’s father, who was kidnapped by the Galactic Empire. They desired his assistance in building the Death Star. The Death Star is the most powerful weapon available for destruction. Jyn, on the other hand, grows up and joins forces with a group of resistance warriors. Her sole purpose is to steal the Empire’s plans. Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, and other actors star in the film.
Rogue One Filming Locations
Rogue One was shot in a variety of locations across the world from August 2015 to November 2016. Filming locations for Rogue One may be found all over the world, starting from the Maldives to Iceland, as well as from London to Jordan. All of Rogue One’s expensive CGI cuts and actual post-production took place in England, notably at Elstree Studios and Pinewood Studios.
Iceland
Iceland was used for a number of planets in Rogue One, and it is perhaps the most magnificent Star Wars setting in production ever. The location was also used in Star Wars: The Force Awakens for a few snow shots (Starkiller base). Almost every town in Iceland has a tongue twister that is nearly impossible to spell or pronounce correctly. Thankfully, the imaginary Rogue One planets created from these locations aren’t quite as difficult to pronounce.
Mýrdalssandur
Planet Eadu, Jyn Erso’s probable home planet, was based in this spectacular black sand region with towering cliffs and a bone-chillingly cold environment. Mrdalssandur Beach was where Galen Erso and his clan were hidden on Lah’mu, a scarcely populated planet in Outer Rim territory. Mrdalssandur Beach is frequently confused with the more well-known Reynisfjara Beach. While several sites list Reynisfjara as a filming location, Mrdalssandur was used for most of the black sand beach shots in Rogue One.
The beach is located 20 minutes east of the coastal village of Vk Mrdal in southern Iceland, beneath the famed Icelandic mountains Hafursey and Hjörleifshöfi. When you visit in person, you’ll see the peak of the mountains over the characters that were shown in the opening scenes of the film. The intense cold and frequent fog in this location made filming the opening sequence dangerous. Noah, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Prometheus, Oblivion, Thor: The Dark World, Star Trek Into Darkness, and even Game of Thrones, the world’s most pirated television show in history, were all shot at this famed area of black sand beaches.
Krafla & Lake Mývatn
The spooky planet of Eadu was also based on the Krafla volcanic crater and neighboring Lake Mvatn’s granite formations. This place has been featured in multiple episodes of Game of Thrones, so it has even more nerd appeal! Krafla is a caldera that is home to one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. Lake Mvatn is Iceland’s 4th largest lake and a thermal and volcanic activity hotspot.
Maldives
We went insane when we saw Stormtroopers in frickin’ paradise, walking across crystal-clear water in Rogue One. We must have replayed the trailer several times simply to watch that shot again. While Scarif turned out to be the polar opposite of paradise, the Maldives functioned as the planet’s primary filming location.
Yes, the producers chose one of the world’s most exotic places, and with good reason! Scarif has to be a “paradise world filled with crystal blue waters, palm trees, and beautiful beaches,” according to director Gareth Edwards, which is likely why they chose this magnificent site in the first place. Local Maldivians were also given the option to dress up as Stormtroopers.
In Rogue One, the Laamu Atoll was used especially as Scarif. Although the explosives were shot 5,550 kilometers away in England because they couldn’t blow things up in another nation, the majority of the battle sequences for this final portion of the film were shot here. The Stormtroopers racing through crystal-clear water sequences were shot specifically at Kudurah. On the isolated desert island of Berasdhoo, some of the final combat sequences from Rogue One were also shot. The film team stayed on Gan Island, whilst Kudafushi was used for some of the climactic battle shots on Scarif.
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