Out of the many talented actors and directors involved in Star Wars' first live-action series The Mandalorian, Werner Herzog is one of the more interesting additions. Not only because the noted director doesn't take many acting roles, and can speak about the process from his years of experience behind the camera, but also because he's never actually watched Star Wars.
Hold off on the shock for just a bit, because Werner Herzog recently shared his joy on being a part of the upcoming Disney+ series, as well as what sets it apart from the movies.
Mandalorian was filmed not like all the other Star Wars or other big event films -- green screen, green screen everywhere — and the camera motion-control moving there. All of a sudden you have a phenomenal step forward. As an actor, you see the entire planet on which you are. You see the landscape.
Actors often do a good job of expressing emotion in front of a green screen, but obviously having physical sets and the like to interact with may make things a bit easier. Being able to see his surroundings as he interacted with them was something Werner Herzog appreciated, as he described the difference as a "phenomenal step forward" in the process.
Of course, this is all from the perspective of someone who's actually never seen a Star Wars movie. Werner Herzog explained to Associated Press he's not completely glib to the franchise, however, and explained the bits about Star Wars he is familiar with.
I’ve seen some trailers. I’ve seen some excerpts here and there. And I know about the whole franchise and about the toys for the kids and so — it’s all a new mythology.
Not knowing anything about the sequel trilogy for the role is, presumably, not a big deal -- although one has to imagine what was going through Werner Herzog's head while filming The Mandalorian. Did he comprehend the significance of the Empire's demise, or how insane it was the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star not once, but two times? Probably not, but one would think someone brought him up to speed on the story beats he needed to know before filming.
Werner Herzog went on to say he's playing a character "in whom you cannot trust," which might mean he's more familiar with the Empire's side of the story. Of course, there's no shortage of criminal syndicates that weren't necessarily affiliated with any side that profited from the war and mayhem that plagued the galaxy, so maybe fan shouldn't assume Herzog's character is in league with the emperor's fallen faction just yet.
The Mandalorian's first episode is scheduled to release on Disney+'s launch day, which is set for Tuesday, November 12. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates in the meantime, as well as the latest news in movies, television, and pop culture.
