'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' release date latest news: Director Gareth Edwards breathes a sigh of relief after hearing positive reactions

For a movie plagued with rumors of trouble during the production stages, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" seems to be doing really well. In fact, the members of the media who were lucky enough to see 28 minutes of footage during the weekend have responded positively to what they saw.

Director Gareth Edwards can now breathe a sigh of relief, but there's more to come. "It feels good, and it's a relief. Because I feel like the best is yet to come," he told Comicbook.com.

Edwards said he would have preferred to show the critics the entire movie, but the studio doesn't want to do it yet. "The little clip we showed is not really — the film is built as a whole, so it's really hard to show bits and pieces. It's a journey that you and the characters go on. So I really can't wait for you to see the rest of the movie, because it builds and builds," he stated.

The world premiere is going to be on Dec. 10, so there should be plenty of reactions after it is shown. However, don't expect any full reviews until the review embargo is lifted on Dec. 13. If the rest of the movie is as good as the 28 minutes of footage shown at the Skywalker Ranch, then fans will have a lot to look forward to.

Meanwhile, Edwards revealed to Collider that "Rogue One" feels like a war movie because that's what he set out to do in the first place. He said he shot the film like a documentary in a war zone, which would explain why many of the people who saw the 28-minute footage said it was grittier and more realistic than the other "Star Wars" films.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is scheduled to premiere on Dec. 16 in the United States.