It's a reference to the Death Star, the planet-destroying space station familiar from the original Star Wars movie. And the new action-heavy trailer for the spin-off reveals not just the super weapon's threat but also the power of the sci-fi franchise in its rebooted phase.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One stars Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, the leader of a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star.

The previous trailer, released in August, showed a glimpse of Darth Vader. Like that one, this new trailer is full of familiar elements from the original Star Wars trilogy.

As well as Vader and the Death Star there are stormtroopers, X-Wing fighters, a classic line in "the force is strong", All-Terrain Armoured Transport walkers, a forest that looks like the home of the Ewoks, a ship entering hyperspace, a Jedi relic, droids and a battle reminiscent of Luke's triumph at the climax of the first instalment.

There is another reference to that movie, known since 1978 as Star Wars: A New Hope, in Jyn's line: "We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope."

The trailer shows the significance of the new movie's title. Asked for a mission call sign, pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) says: "It's Rogue. Rogue One."

It also shows the family connection behind Jyn's mission, seemingly confirming one fan theory about the movie. In flashback, she sees her scientist father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) saying "Whatever I do, I do it to protect you" before seemingly being captured.

Then Jyn learns – spoiler alert – that he is a key creator of the Death Star.

The trailer also features a sassy Han Solo-Princess Leia style moment as Jyn jokes with rebel intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), saying: "You're all rebels, aren't you?"

But one thing the new movie has that the earlier Star Wars trilogy did not is diversity in its characters – not just a female hero in Felicity Jones's Jyn, also national and racial diversity in the casting of Luna, Mikkelsen, Ahmed, Donnie Yen, Jimmy Smits and Forest Whitaker in key roles.

Who knew there were foreign accents in space?

The trailer suggests Mendelsohn will feature heavily in Rogue One as yet another malevolent character, Imperial military director Orson Krennic

It comes as Jones has defended the reshoots, rumoured to have cost up to $US30 million ($40 million), as standard practice for a big-budget VFX-heavy movie.

"Obviously when you come to the edit, you see the film come together and you think, 'Actually, we could do this better, and this would make more sense if we did this,' " she told The Hollywood Reporter.

"I've done it so many times. I mean, you wouldn't just give your first draft on this story, would you?"

Rogue One opens on December 15.