The people working on the prequels had created a lot of fantastic practical effects aliens of all shapes and sizes, only occasionally spruced up with CGI.

We loved those.

It's not the effect, it's what you do with it. There's nothing about CGI that makes the aliens' accent offensive, and that was a problem both practical (Neimoidians) and CGI aliens (Gungans) in The Phantom Menace had. The non-speaking background aliens looked fantastic and they were sometimes practical, sometimes CGI.

In my opinion, the problems of that movie lie in aimless direction and post-production, not in the effects work itself.

Can Aliens only be main characters in the animated series?.... You did it in Guardians of the Galaxy, Disney, and that movie was great!

Yea, yea, non-human species, I know

Dude... watch the behind the scenes trailer. Aliens are EVERYWHERE. Ep7 gave chewie more love than ever... half of the xwings pilots were aliens. JJ put so many aliens in that people criticized him for copying the cantina scene.

Aliens are alive and well in the Star Wars universe.

While it's true there are a bunch of aliens in The Force Awakens, I would still like to see more, as well as some more of the well-known species. Yeah, some of then are tired from being overdone, but it doesn't feel as much like Star Wars without a twi'lek or a rodian or something in there.

In TFA,out of the nearly fifty species we see (if will likely go count tonight), only four are recognizable from other instalments: a Wookiee, a sullustan, a Mon Cal, and a Shistavanen.

Otherwise, all new. And I don't dislike novelty, far from it. But I want to see the old mixed in with the new in more equal proportion. Also, the only truly main character who want human was Chewie, and he was really only there because they wanted Han Solo, and you can't have Han Solo without Chewie.

I love all the background aliens, I even love the movie and the human protagonists! I just would LIKE to see more alien main protagonists.. It would just be nice and something I would enjoy, that's all! As a kid (and now) my favourite heroes and action figures were always the weird non-human ones, ninja Turtles, thundercats, hellboy, biker Mice from Mars, streetsharks, toxic avenger, the Thing, Beast, nightcrawler, mystique any other weird looking mutant or alien from Marvel. .. I am a pretty normal guy, but I think everyone can relate with being different or an outsider from time to time..

Small derailment, sorry. (ok, this is still star wars and aliens, so maybe not so large.) I just had to share this with people

Jesus Christ, Jar-Jar is JACKED ! I have Gungan Pectoral Envy.

As the main freak show advocate here, I can't avoid giving my 2 cts. by proclaiming that we could do with more aliens in important roles. I wouldn't do a movie with all major roles written as hutts, but a team as in Rogue One could have included Zabrak or Twi'lek easily and maybe a weirder species like a Mon Cal or something. Imho Yoda, Ackbar etc. have shown that a well designed species/model and a well written character can be relatable (if that is even a word).

If you are trying to steal Death Star plans from an Imperial base and you may want to be able to sneak around...You kind of need to be human. just Saying. It makes sense to do it this way for this movie.

I think having mostly humans as the main cast makes the films more appealing to casual viewers, so the film producers will play it safe and keep it that way.

As the main freak show advocate here, I can't avoid giving my 2 cts. by proclaiming that we could do with more aliens in important roles. I wouldn't do a movie with all major roles written as hutts, but a team as in Rogue One could have included Zabrak or Twi'lek easily and maybe a weirder species like a Mon Cal or something. Imho Yoda, Ackbar etc. have shown that a well designed species/model and a well written character can be relatable (if that is even a word).

If you are trying to steal Death Star plans from an Imperial base and you may want to be able to sneak around...You kind of need to be human. just Saying. It makes sense to do it this way for this movie.

Agreed. I think Rogue One is a poor movie to ask for more aliens precisly because the plot seems to involve inlftrating an Imperial base and I find that unlikely with a Zabrak or Twi'lek in tow.

Now the Han Solo movie slated for 2018 (I think that's the next off year movie?) will likely feature aliens. I expect to see Wookies (Chewie of course but others too), Hutts, Rodians (I bet we'll see a young Greedo in the movie) and various other sundry critters.

If you are trying to steal Death Star plans from an Imperial base and you may want to be able to sneak around...You kind of need to be human. just Saying. It makes sense to do it this way for this movie.

Yes, but I guess there will be other characters involved and some of those could be alien. And to be honest, what the trailers show was very little sneaking and a lot of running-and-gunning, which aliens could do just as well as humans.

@ Kael: Zabrak could fit very well into stormtrooper armour, if you just take some of the lining out of the helmet.

But I can wait for the Han Solo movie.

Perhaps we will get another anthology film that's only human is named Sheev, and he watches security feeds as a busload of bumbling bothans bite it.

Also, if you want lots of aliens, I'm sure you can find the Ewok movies...

If you are trying to steal Death Star plans from an Imperial base and you may want to be able to sneak around...You kind of need to be human. just Saying. It makes sense to do it this way for this movie.

Yes, but I guess there will be other characters involved and some of those could be alien. And to be honest, what the trailers show was very little sneaking and a lot of running-and-gunning, which aliens could do just as well as humans.

@ Kael: Zabrak could fit very well into stormtrooper armour, if you just take some of the lining out of the helmet.

But I can wait for the Han Solo movie.

Yes but what if the running and gunning we see in the trailer is on one of the human held worlds in the Empire?

We have too few details to decry the movie for not including aliens, more so when we know the plot itself will make it difficult.

And in the making of trailer we see aliens doing things lime like being a door gunner

Yes but what if the running and gunning we see in the trailer is on one of the human held worlds in the Empire?

We have too few details to decry the movie for not including aliens, more so when we know the plot itself will make it difficult.

Well, as mentioned, I don't consider it a fatal flaw and I can wait for the Han movie, but to be honest your first sentence is not a compelling argument. After all, the movie won't be a documentary, they could just have written a script that supports the introduction of aliens. For example a slave camp could be involved in the construction and they need an alien of species XYZ to infiltrate it, or liberate one from it, or...

Anyway, it looks like a pretty good movie - I like the grittier ones anyway - so I'm not complaining. I just would have preferred it a bit differently (if the trailers are a fair representation of the movie). I'll watch it and I guess I'll like it.

But as to the running and gunning, there is something to consider; the actors' safety. If you want the authentic non-cg, you have to dress up the human actors, makeup takes time. Prosthetic aliens like Ello Asty in the Force Awakens would be a pain to run in, not to mention see in. Even armour can prove a problem, watch the original trilogy stormtroopers. Factor in reset time and durability there are lots of reasons NOT to include aliens. Counterpoint, that much of these can be absolved with CGI, but as well as cost to animate each frame of film, there are other issues to CGI characters. Dexters diner and Jar-Jar's physical interactions (tongue catch) are examples that look really fake and dated.

It is six of one, half dozen of another im terms of pros/cons. But time and money are the ones that stand out the most.

Yes but what if the running and gunning we see in the trailer is on one of the human held worlds in the Empire?

We have too few details to decry the movie for not including aliens, more so when we know the plot itself will make it difficult.

Well, as mentioned, I don't consider it a fatal flaw and I can wait for the Han movie, but to be honest your first sentence is not a compelling argument. After all, the movie won't be a documentary, they could just have written a script that supports the introduction of aliens. For example a slave camp could be involved in the construction and they need an alien of species XYZ to infiltrate it, or liberate one from it, or...

Anyway, it looks like a pretty good movie - I like the grittier ones anyway - so I'm not complaining. I just would have preferred it a bit differently (if the trailers are a fair representation of the movie). I'll watch it and I guess I'll like it.

They could have written a script to support aliens. But this is the Empire we're talking about. It's a pro human culture. It's top secret super super special super weapon is not likely to be anywhere that has a lot of aliens. Being as how the movie takes place just before the Death Star is complete (we see the super laser dish being installed) I think the plot is well beyond the point that they are using alien slave labor to construct it. The thing is pretty much done. So even if we assumed they used alien slave labor they are obviously well beyond the point that those labors are involved in the project.

Then again for all you know there are Wookie slaves all over the place and they just weren't featured in the trailer. Which brings me back toooooooooo

And I say again, we've only seen the trailer. So how you can complain about lack of aliens without actually seeing the story produced is beyond me. After the movie if you want to revisit the topic sure, but right now all we have are what we know of the Empire (pro human) and what we know of the plot and trailer. That's it. That's is a horrible basis to argue that the movie needs more of anything.

@ Samophlage & Kael: Well, for me it's still a question of choice: you can write your script one way or another, featuring a main character alien would not run against humanity as dominant species (or almost exclusive species as far as the Empire is concerned). I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

@ Samophlage & Kael: Well, for me it's still a question of choice: you can write your script one way or another, featuring a main character alien would not run against humanity as dominant species (or almost exclusive species as far as the Empire is concerned). I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

And until you see the movie you're argument has no foundation to stand upon as you don't know what the story is or how it was written. You just know the cast and trailer. It's not a matter of agreeing to disagree. We have nothing to base a real discussion on. We can't agree or disagree on anything until such time as all the facts are known.

You can't argue for the more inclusion of aliens because you don't know to what extent they were excluded. Conversely I can't argue the needs of the story because i haven't seen the entire story. So at this point you have no real foundation to argue that the movie needed more (or less) of anything.

Now after the movie comes out it will be different. But as of this moment you have nothing to base your argument on that has any real substance.

Spoiler: Jyn Erso was a Hutt in disguise the whole time.

Hutt in thin-suit!

If you are trying to steal Death Star plans from an Imperial base and you may want to be able to sneak around...You kind of need to be human. just Saying. It makes sense to do it this way for this movie.

Yes, but I guess there will be other characters involved and some of those could be alien. And to be honest, what the trailers show was very little sneaking and a lot of running-and-gunning, which aliens could do just as well as humans.

@ Kael: Zabrak could fit very well into stormtrooper armour, if you just take some of the lining out of the helmet.

But I can wait for the Han Solo movie.

Nothing in the trailers says they didn't start out trying to sneak. Just because it devolved into a run and gun does not mean it started that way.

People need to relax! we're just having fun, right?

Of course I, the op, don't know if there are lots of aliens I don't know about yet or in the next ones after that. If so, that's awesome! I just express what I feel would be fun and interesting to see. I still liked TFA and the new main trio. I just like aliens too and hope there are more odetails them in main roles in future movies ano not just the animated series...

Now after the movie comes out it will be different. But as of this moment you have nothing to base your argument on that has any real substance.

Well, http://makingstarwars.net/2016/08/check-out-the-new-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-figures/ looks like I'm getting my critters after all

Now after the movie comes out it will be different. But as of this moment you have nothing to base your argument on that has any real substance.

Well, http://makingstarwars.net/2016/08/check-out-the-new-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-figures/ looks like I'm getting my critters after all

Awesome!

Now after the movie comes out it will be different. But as of this moment you have nothing to base your argument on that has any real substance.

Well, http://makingstarwars.net/2016/08/check-out-the-new-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-figures/ looks like I'm getting my critters after all

EDIT:

1) Thanks to 2P51 for finding them.

2) Let's see if the get any dialogue