Rise of the Empire is a Star Wars fan film that centers on Nyla Tardun, a freedom fighter who leads a rag-tag group of would-be-Rebels against the terror of a sinister Empress and her relentless personal assassin. Directed by Richard Lowry, the film aims to raise the standard of fan films for viewers who want a better quality of independent movie-watching experiences.
A teaser trailer has been released, and it shows some cool footage featuring the blaster-wielding heroine, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers, a lightsaber duel, and the coolest part -- a Jedi freaking deflecting TIE fighters' laser beams with his lightsaber! It seems that this fan film has a compelling and unique story to tell. And the female lead looks badass. I can't wait to see how she's going to deal with the Empress. Check out the fan's film's official poster:
click to enlargeRise of the Empire is described as a "Joan of Arc beauty against a classic Sith beast". Filming beings May 15 in the original locations as Star Wars: A New Hope, in Death Valley National Park, California. Watch the trailer below:
Here's some additional information from the fan film's press kit:
Rise of the Empire is an fan-film web serial. The entire series will be comprised of 20 minute chapters which include 3-5 minute episodes. The first chapter will cost $150,000 to produce. The IndieGoGo campaign seeks to raise the full amount, but will begin filming the initial episodes once $50,000 in commitments is reached.
If you want to see this fan film reach its full potential, you can support Rise of the Empire's IndieGogo campaign here.