text: He's the latest person to travel to a galaxy far, far away. And on Sunday director Gareth Edwards took to the stage  to reveal a few details about Rogue One, the first of the standalone Star Wars films, at the Stars Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. At the same time, the iconic franchise's Twitter account posted a capsule of the storyline, saying: 'A band of resistance fighters unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans in Star Wars anthology film, Rogue One #RogueOne.' Scroll down for video ... First look: Director Gareth Edwards revealed a glimpse of the first Star Wars spin-off Rogue One at the Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, on Sunday . Special: Fans at a Star Wars convention in California were treated to one last surprise before the event closed . Sneak peek: A preview from a Star Wars anthology film, Rogue One was screene . Expanding the universe far, far, away: In Rogue One 'a band of resistance fighters unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans' 18 months away: The film has not yet begun shooting so it's not clear if these scenes will be in the final movie . One attendee managed to capture the preview of Rogue One on their cellphone before uploading it YouTube . Following the release of the trailer to Star Wars VII, Disney's share price rocketed with more than $US2 billion added to the company's value. Star Wars has attracted generations of loyal fans ever since the first film arrived nearly 40 years ago, creating a signature moment in the history of popular culture and launching one of the biggest movie franchises ever. After a second trilogy of prequel films wrapped in 2005, the movie franchise had lain dormant until Disney shelled out $US4 billion To buy creator Lucas’s Lucasfilm in October 2012. Disney soon announced plans for three new films in the series, with acclaimed Hollywood director J.J. Abrams being entrusted with the reboot. The Force isn’t just returning to the big screen, it's also reappearing in video games too. Star Wars Battlefront which was first teased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2013, marks the first title in a 10-year deal between the Walt Disney Co. and Electronic Arts Inc. to create new games. 'For more than 1,000 generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire,' the voiceover reads, as the camera tracks to show a ghostly Death Star hovering in the clouds. Set between the third and the fourth movies in the 'Star Wars' saga, the film will follow a band of resistance fighters who unite to steal the Death Star plans and 'bring a new hope,' referring to the subtitle of the original 'Star Wars.' Gareth Edwards who directed Godzilla debuted a tantalizing concept reel to preview the mysterious film, which is part of a series of films exploring other stories outside of the core 'Star Wars' saga. Gareth is due to start work on the spin-off, starring Felicity Jones as a Rebel fighter, this summer for a December 2016 release. Aside from the storyline, he also unveiled art and a brief sizzle reel for an audience of excited fans at the fourth and final day of the event at the Anaheim Convention Centre.. Gareth was joined onstage by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and head of development Kiri Hart who explained: 'We really wanted freedom to do some films that could stand on their own, and tell new stories.' She added that they are describing them as 'anthology films' that expand the Star Wars universe without necessarily using the main characters. Joing the Star Wars characters: Gareth, pictured at the Godzilla premiere in Beijing last June, will start work on Rogue One this summer for a December 2016 release . More to come: The Star Wars website released this Twitter describing the storyline for the film, which is described as an anthology movie adding to the Star Wars universe . Glamour girl: Felicity Jones, pictured at the Oscars in February, will star in Rogue One . According to Gareth, Rogue One is set after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith and before the original Star Wars, which became Episode IV when George Lucas created the three prequels. Gareth said Rogue One won't have clear-cut villains and heroes, according to the Hollywood Reporter. And the crowd laughed when he joked about the content, saying: 'It's called Star WARS,' putting heavy emphasis on the last word. 'It’s about the fact that god’s not coming to save us, and we’re on our own. The absence of the Jedi is omnipresent in the film. It hangs over the whole movie,' he added. Felicity Jones, who recently garnered an Oscar nomination for her role in 'The Theory of Everything' is the only confirmed cast member for the film, which will shoot in London this summer for a December 2016 release. Edwards said that her character will not just be a stoic soldier, but a complex, fully rounded human. 'We wanted to see fear, warmth, all of those aspects that everybody has,' he said, excited that Jones embodies 'the complete package.' In the world of 'Rogue One,' Edwards said the 'absence of Jedi is omnipresent.' Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy appears on the Cantina set at Star Wars Celebration: The Ultimate Fan Experience held in Anaheim last week . The characters in the film realize that the 'gods are not coming to save us,' he said. 'It comes down to a group of people who don't have magical powers who band together to bring hope to the galaxy.' 'Cinderella' scribe Chis Weitz wrote the screenplay based on an idea from visual effects supervisor John Knoll. Josh Trank, who is set to direct the next, still untitled 'Star Wars' anthology film, did not attend the event although he was originally scheduled to appear. The idea for the film came from award-winning visual effects artist John Knoll, who pitched the idea internally before bringing it to Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm's Kiri Hart. Hart, vice president of development for Lucasfilm, said that the anthology films will vary in 'scale and genre.' She added that they are describing them as 'anthology films' that expand the Star Wars universe without necessarily using the main characters. 'We wanted freedom to do some films that would be able to stand on their own and tell unique stories,' she said. 'They can still feel like `Star Wars' and be `Star Wars.' Meanwhile, it was revealed that the trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, which debuted at the event on Thursday, was viewed 88 million times worldwide in the first 24 hours. Directed by JJ Abrams, the movie opens in the US on December 18.
target: Rogue One will be a prequel to the original trilogy .
  Sneak preview was revealed just days after Star Wars VII trailer .
  First 'anthology film' will be about Rebels on a rogue mission to steal plans to the Death Star .
  Felicity Jones will star as a rebel soldier .