Werner Herzog praises The Mandalorian, admits he's never seen Star Wars

More good news on May the 4th: The Mandalorian is “phenomenal,” according to its most unexpected star, Werner Herzog. Herzog, who was officially confirmed as one of the new Star Wars series' villains in March, spoke highly of filming the series, and explained how the filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and Aguirre, the Wrath of God ended up in the show.
    “I was invited by Jon Favreau, who started this whole series, to act,” Herzog said. “I looked at the screenplays and I had the feeling that although I know very little about Star Wars, I had the feeling, yes, I could do it.”

    Herzog said that the series' production focused on real sets and environments, and it was not "green screen and artificiality" like other blockbuster works. He was interviewed by the Associated Press about his new documentary Meeting Gorbachev, which follows three interviews Herzog conducted with the former leader of the Soviet Union. In his trademark voice, Herzog described his character in The Mandalorian as “a character in whom you cannot trust.” The show, headlined by Game of Thrones and Narcos actor Pedro Pascal, also stars Gina Carano and Carl Weathers.
    The 76-year-old filmmaker and actor, who was once shot while doing an interview, also admitted a surprising fact for someone in a Star Wars show: He's never seen Star Wars.
    “I have to confess I never saw a single one. I've seen some trailers, I've seen some excerpts. And I know about the whole franchise, and about the toys for the kids," Herzog said. "It's all a new mythology for our time, some sort of heroic, and it has created new mythologies. And you better take them seriously.”
    The Mandalorian will stream on Disney+ this fall.