A new trailer for the upcoming "Star Wars" anthology film, "Rogue One," made its debut during NBC's primetime Olympics coverage on Thursday.

"Rogue One" takes place between the prequel and original trilogies as the Empire's hold on the galaxy continues to strengthen. Darth Vader has disappeared into the shadows since the events of "Revenge of the Sith," though his influence is still felt over all the planets under his control. Meanwhile, a ragtag rebel militia led by Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), is sent in to pull off a mission that could be the last chance to defeat the Emperor. Their job: steal the plans to the Death Star.

A teaser poster for the film was unveiled at last month's Star Wars Celebration Europe in London. The poster featured a battle on the tropical planet of Scarif, with rebels dueling with stormtroopers in shallow beaches while the Death Star looms large in the sky. The scenes in Scarif were filmed on location in the Maldives, with members of the Maldivian military playing some of the stormtroopers.

Also Read: 'Rogue One' Teaser Poster Shows Off New Planet (Photo)

This is the second time Lucasfilm has debuted a "Star Wars" trailer during primetime sports television, as ESPN aired a trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" during halftime of a "Monday Night Football" broadcast last year. Interestingly, there's a connection between the Olympics and two of the most famous scenes in "Star Wars" history.

Bob Anderson, a British fencer who competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, was responsible for choreographing the lightsaber duels between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." Anderson also served as the stunt double for those scenes, wearing the Vader suit while dueling with Mark Hamill. Anderson later choreographed sword fights in films like "Highlander," "The Princess Bride," and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

"Rogue One" is directed by Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla") and stars Jones, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker. James Earl Jones will also reprise his role as the voice of Darth Vader in a cameo.

"Rogue One" arrives in theaters Dec. 16.