Werner Herzog, Who Is Starring in an Upcoming Star Wars Series, Has Never Seen a Star Wars Movie

Werner Herzog has done a lot of things in his prolific film directing career. He perused prehistoric art while creating the Cave of Forgotten Dreams documentary. He visited a jungle (and hated it). He ate his own shoe in front of a live audience. But one thing he hasn't done is watch a Star Wars movie.

"I have to confess I never saw a single one," he said while shaking his head in an interview with the Associated Press. "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."

This wouldn't be all that unusual, except for the fact that he's starring in The Mandalorian, Disney's forthcoming series set in the Star Wars universe. According to AV Club, Herzog will be playing the role of a "mysterious villain" in the show, which was created by Jon Favreau. Herzog said he will likely appear in two or three episodes.

Despite this lack of a proper introduction to the Star Wars world, Herzog said he didn't have any misgivings about being part of the project. "I looked at the screenplay and I had the feeling of—though I know very little about Star Wars—I had the feeling, 'Yes, I could do it,'" he said.

He praised filmmakers for eschewing the "artificiality" of the green screen in favor of a more tangible approach. "[The Mandalorian] brings movie-making back to where it should be. It's a phenomenal achievement," he said.

According to the official synopsis of the series, "The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic." It will premiere on Disney's streaming platform, Disney+, sometime this year.