As we inch closer to the Dec. 16 premiere, new television commercials for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" are arriving faster than waves of Imperial Stormtroopers. Although the latter is seldom welcome, we'll happily embrace the former.

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Titled "Dream," the latest TV spot is light on new footage but heavy on the inspirational themes that will have franchise fans all tingly -- "Save the rebellion," Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera shouts, "save the dream! -- and eager to buy tickets.

For the "Star Wars" faithful in the United Kingdom, that day arrives very soon, as the first tickets go on sale Monday. Presumably we can expect a similar announcement for the United States to follow.

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Directed by Gareth Edwards ("Monsters," "Godzilla"), the standalone film is set just before the events of 1977's "Star Wars," as the Rebellion Alliance recruits an unlikely band of freedom fighters to undertake a dangerous mission: steal the plans for the the Empire's planet-destroying new super-weapon, the Death Star.

Opening Dec. 15 in the United Kingdom and Dec. 16 in the United States, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker.