The movie's villain is Director Orson Krennic, an ambitious Imperial character who's bent on destroying Rebel forces and is in charge of advanced weapons research.
Krennic enlists scientist Galen Erso to help on a secret project to build the first Death Star weapon. Erso is of interest to both the Rebellion and Empire for his "doomsday knowledge."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Jyn is Galen's daughter. She's a streetwise criminal who's been on her own since her teenage years until detained by the Rebel Alliance. Instead of locking her, they ask her to help get into the Empire's weapon's system and find out what her estranged father is up to.
Felicity Jones got her geek cred by starring in Joss Whedon's cult classic sci-fi TV show "Firefly." She's also gotten acclaim for her roles in "Like Crazy" and "The Theory of Everything."
Jyn will assemble a rag-tag team along with Captain Cassian Andor, a by-the-book officer for the Rebellion.
In real life, Mexican actor Diego Luna flits between big blockbusters like "Elysium" and smaller critically acclaimed films like "Y tu mamá también" and "Milk."
K-2SO is a tough droid who doesn't care much for humans. He was reprogrammed bg Esso to work for the Rebels instead of the Empire, and he's just there to get the job done.
Another member of the crew is Chirrut Imwe. He's a blind warrior monk who wants to bring good to the universe.
Baze Malbus is Chirrut's friend. He's a little less religiously inclined, but he's loyal. Both are inspired by characters from Akira Kurosawa's 1958 film "The Hidden Fortress,"
Source: Entertainment Weekly