Mads Mikkelsen, known by many from his role as the menacing but suave lead in the ill-fated NBC series Hannibal, is a hot property now that he's no longer tied to an ongoing series. Mikkelsen has been tied to not only the Marvel Doctor Strange film, but also the upcoming Anthology film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Mikkelsen was questioned recently about the film and his thoughts on being a part of the massive Star Wars universe while doing press for the release of the third season of Hannibal on Blu-Ray. He was understandably brief about his thoughts, but he did offer a few insights.
The veil of secrecy around the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has been pretty tough to crack, but fans have been able to get glimpses here and there into the first of the Star Wars Anthology spinoff films. Mikkelsen opened up a little to IGN about his feelings on being a part of the Star Wars universe and hinted just a little about the tone of the film. When asked if Rogue One will take a different direction from the main Star Wars series, he replied:
"I believe that is true to a degree. It's still the Star Wars universe, but there is... There might be a personal take on that from Gareth [Edwards], as well. And it should be like that, right? And tomorrow you will find me dead in a river somewhere because I said that."
Mikkelsen was also asked whether he feels the pressure of becoming a part of the Star Wars universe, and pointed out that it's not the first major franchise he's appeared in.
"It is a big thing, but so was Hannibal and so was Bond. The thing is, we don't go to change the 'thing' about it. We address it as a job. We focus on the character and start working. We also are aware that it's the Star Wars universe. We are aware. But that hat, we can't wear all the time. We have to focus on each individual scene. So I think this is one of these things that will dawn on you later when you actually see the film. In the midst of it, it's a different thing."
What we know about the movie thus far is limited, but a few details have leaked out. We know that the film, which centers around a group of rebels that conspire to steal the plans to the Death Star, will feature practical sets. This basically means that the sets, ships, creatures etc. will really be there, instead of relying on heavy green screen CGI effects. The use of practical sets was one of the things that made the original trilogy so magical, and may have taken something away from the prequels, which relied heavily on CGI. We also know that Darth Vader and the classic stormtroopers are expected to appear.
Thanks to Mikkelsen's time on Hannibal and his talent for playing scary characters, many fans figured that his Star Wars role would be leaning towards the dark side of the force, which apparently isn't the case. Mikkelsen is adamant that his character is a good guy this time around.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th, 2015, followed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on December 16th, 2016, Star Wars: Episode VIII on May 26th, 2017, and the Han Solo Star Wars Anthology film on May 25th, 2018. Star Wars: Episode IX is expected to reach theaters in 2019, followed by the third Star Wars Anthology film in 2020.
Source: IGN