It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), itself a prequel to the original 1977 Star Wars film. The series follows an ensemble cast primarily centered upon thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor during the five formative years leading up to the events of the two films, exploring Andor's radicalization against the Galactic Empire as well as the formation of the wider Rebel Alliance.