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Werner Herzog Only Joined Star Wars to Fund His Own Film


German director Werner Herzog is not known for taking on so much acting roles, but later this year we'll be seeing him in Jon Favreau's Star Wars series, The Mandalorian. Werzog had said before that he really didn't care for Star Wars, but he eventually booked the job to get funding for his own Cannes film.

Talking to IndieWire, Werzog revealed that he needed the cash to fund his movie Family Romance. The film is said to be set in Japan and will focus on "a man hired to impersonate the missing father of a young girl." The movie doesn't have any major stars in it, so it would make sense that Werzog would try to get his funding by taking big jobs.

As it turns out, it wasn't really that big of a challenge for Werzog to get into his character for Star Wars. He said:

"I asked for the full screenplays, and I looked into the part, and it looked good and interesting… The only reason for having me in the film is they needed somebody who would spread terror, and be frightening for the audience. I said, ‘Yes I think I can give you this stylization.' It came with great ease."

Though he's a director, Werzog can actually make for a very good character actor. He has a very distinct voice, and his onscreen presence is already something. Just watch him in his small guest-starring role in Parks and Recreation (with Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt):

For now, The Mandalorian is set to debut on Disney+ which launches Nov. 12 later this year.

See Also: Star Wars: Bryce Dallas Howard Talks About Working On The Mandalorian

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