Stephen King Joins the Praise for the Best Star Wars Movie to Date: “It Has What So Many Action Pictures Lack”
Stephen King, known as one of the most prolific and respected writers today, doesn’t just stick to books. Sometimes, he surprises fans by sharing his thoughts on movies and TV shows — and his opinions usually hit the mark. After all, he’s the writer with the most adaptations in film and television.
Recently, King watched what many consider the best Star Wars movie so far, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and gave it a glowing review. He tweeted, “Watched ROGUE ONE with my wife today. We had a ball. Wish I’d seen it in a theater. It has what so many action pictures lack: a beating heart.” This shows just how much the film connected with him.
Stephen King recently watched ROGUE ONE and gave his reaction.
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) August 10, 2025
“Watched ROGUE ONE with my wife today. We had a ball. Wish I'd seen it in a theater. It has what so many action pictures lack: a beating heart.” pic.twitter.com/LgXwz1ql0E
Rogue One is a 2016 space epic directed by Gareth Edwards, with a script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. It’s the first anthology film in the Star Wars universe and acts as a prequel to the original 1977 movie.
The story follows a group of rebels who steal the plans for the Empire’s deadly weapon, the Death Star. It’s set just before the original Star Wars film and highlights the Rebel Alliance’s first major win against the Empire.
Save the rebellion, save the dream. Watch a new trailer for #RogueOne: A @StarWars Story, opening in theaters December 16. pic.twitter.com/YFTihmpEcC
— Disney (@Disney) October 13, 2016
Critics have generally liked the film, praising its visuals and story. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 84% approval rating from 461 reviews, with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. The site’s summary reads, “Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.”
Metacritic gives it a score of 65 out of 100, which means “generally favorable reviews.” Audiences have been kind too, with CinemaScore giving it an “A” and PostTrak reporting 91% positive feedback.
The film even earned two Oscar nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects, proving it was a hit not just with fans but also with industry experts.
The prequel series Andor, also managed to land the mark with audiences and is also considered one of the best in Star Wars Universe. On Rotten Tomatoes shows a high approval rating of 96% based on 609 critic reviews, with an average score of 8.55 out of 10. Critics praised it as a mature and politically charged addition to the Star Wars universe, calling it one of the best so far. Metacritic gave it a score of 74 out of 100 from 31 critics, reflecting generally favorable reviews.
Hopefully, King checks it out as well.
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