After rewatching Rogue One today, I realized that there’s no dedicated thread to this concept from the general thread:
https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Rogue-One-A-Star-Wars-Story-Fan-Edit-Ideas-thread-/id/52462/page/11#1095259
I have some new ideas for the edit now, so in brief:
The first scene is of Jyn as a child and the director’s visit. Krennic promises to keep the mother and child safe. We see Lyra’s hatred of Krennic and her death, but Galen’s part is unclear. There is no talk of him being morally opposed to the construction project, so it could be reasonably construed that Lyra was the only one against it. After Lyra’s death, immediately cut to Jyn waking up in prison.
We are introduced to Cassian at the trading post, and learn of the Death Star.
Next we have Jyn being ‘rescued’ from Imperial prison.
Jyn is brought to the Rebel base, where the talk focuses on Galen. The implication is that Jyn knows where he is, and the commander threatens to put her back in prison if she doesn’t tell them everything. Mon Mothma says that they want to extract Galen to testify in the Senate.
Outside, Cassian is told to ignore Mothma’s order and kill Galen due to the risk of him building a functioning superweapon.
Tarkin meets Krennic about the security breach on Jedah, saying that the station must be tested immediately. Perhaps add a line from later saying that the pilot was from Eadu. Krennic says that he will not fail.
There’s a brief scene of Jyn dreaming of Coruscant, and mutterings in the other room of the apartment. The word ‘Eadu’ is heard. Jyn wakes up, and they have arrived at Galen’s facility.
The U-wing crashes on the surface. Only Cassian, K2, and Jyn are clearly identifiable on board. Jyn goes to get her father and Cassian goes with a faceless rebel to a vantage point to assassinate Galen.
The Yavin base sends reinforcements to carry out the assassination after losing contact with their team.
Krennic arrives for Galen, and it is only here that Jyn and Cassian get a clear idea that Galen himself is the defector. Krennic mutters to Galen about Jedah and the weapon’s power, now cast as a threat of future action. The X-wings attack and kill Galen, who as he dies speaks to Jyn about her being Stardust and how there’s so much for him yet to tell her.
Back on board the stolen transport, Jyn and Cassian have their row. Cassian says that Yavin should expect a stolen shuttle.
Jyn has a flashback to the day her father was taken from her. She recalls fleeing to a cave and being rescued by Saw. She comes out of the reverie as Mon Mothma is talking. She is saying that the Rebellion has no choice but to repair the trust between themselves and Saw’s organization. Jyn asks what she will get in return for helping them get through the door, and it is only here that the Rebellion offers her freedom.
They get a new U-wing and they talk of trust as Cassian allows Jyn a blaster. They blast off for Jedah.
Bodhi is taken by Saw in a combination of his scenes and is given over to Bor Gullet.
The crew arrives on Jedah and the scenes play out as before. Jyn hears her father’s last message, and realizing that she was the one who killed him with her doubt and giving up his location, she breaks down. He doesn’t say the specifics of a sabotage to the Death Star, just that it has a weakness. His transmission is garbled in those places and they flee the destruction of the weapon. They return directly to Jedah.
The final act needs no changes. There is Krennic’s meeting with Vader, Jyn’s plea to the council, stealing the Imperial transport that they got in act one, etc. I would only change the ending so that the final shot of the film is of Vader watching the departing Tantive IV.
…
The reason I enjoy this structure is that it gives Jyn a very personal, tragic part to play in the story from the beginning instead of her wandering through a series of scenes and situations until act two, at which point she’s still merely an observer. Now her trust in the Rebellion is broken in act one and must be rebuilt through the rest of the film. She also doesn’t need to take the hologram of her father from Jedah since it doesn’t give any specifics of a weakness, only a destination. The screentime of the supporting crew are concentrated in acts two and three instead of being wasted on the Eadu sidequest, which now focuses entirely on Jyn and Cassian.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.