Mads Mikkelsen Praises Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards
Mads Mikkelsen is one of the Star Wars actors who often speaks freely about his participation in the movie, much to Lucasfilm and Disney’s delight, I’m sure. He has recently clarified the rumors about Rogue One reshoots and, while he is staying away from the spoilers, Mikkelsen is now weighing in on his work with Rogue One director, Gareth Edwards.
While speaking to Yahoo! Movies UK about his upcoming movie Men & Chicken, Mikkelsen had nothing but praise for Edwards.
“[Gareth Edwards’] vision was wonderful,” he said. “He was a natural, man.”
Mikkelsen revealed that he plays Jyn Erso’s (Felicity Jones) father in the movie and it seems that the two share significant screen time. The actor appreciated how Edwards scaled the enormity of a Star Wars movie to create small, intimate scenes.
“The project is so enormous, you’re surrounded by five hundred people, but he did the only thing that you can do in that situation and that is making it small… making it a small scene, just the five of us or the two of us.”
“He tried to create this little space where it’s just, it’s real – that we’re actually making a real scene,” he added. “And I think that’s the only thing we can do with it. We tried to take in the enormity of the Star Wars universe, while we were acting. We have to know it’s there of course, but we can’t act it – we have to make it real. He made us feel as if we were just doing a small, Danish show.”
Mikkelsen wouldn’t speak in detail about the scenes he shared with Felicity Jones, but added:
“I would give away spoilers if I told you what kinds of scenes I have with [Felicity Jones],” he said. “But err… they are characters. They’re not ‘character’ characters… but they all serve their purpose and we have to be aware, obviously when you do a film like this, that it’s not your show. You’re serving a purpose or you’re telling a story of someone else, but you’re a part of it.”
The actor once again re-iterated that the reshoots are perfectly normal thing on a big budget movie and said:
“I have one day, but that is quite normal,” he said. “The last picture I did, I did four days [of reshoots]. It’s quite a normal thing for big films to do… either something they were not pleased with, or something they wanted to add, and it’s quite normal on big films like this to do that.
But the four weeks thing? I haven’t heard about it.”
Mads Mikkelsen will soon appear in aforementioned Men & Chicken (a dark Danish comedy), Doctor Strange and, of course, Rogue One – which will be released in theaters in December, 2016.
Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.
I fully trust Gareth Edwards, he’s talented and humble, and he’s full passion.
I guess there weren’t enough wise crackers and large explosions to the like of Bob Iger and Kathleen kennedy.
I’m sensing some pent-up aggression here, how does that make you feel?
*pulls out note pad*
It makes me feel
I wasn’t crazy about Godzilla, but I didn’t hate it. It was decently watchable. Reasonably pleasant. I’ll probably feel the same way about Rogue One.
Godzilla had a really great feel to it, very different from other monster movies. But the characters were very thin with no development. So if Edwards got a little better at character development, we could be in good shape.
I think that depends as much or more on the writers.
I’m guessing that the book you guys posted a few weeks ago is basically the Rogue One equivalent of the Visual Guide, Cross Sections, and Incredible Locations? I mean it’s not like we are unfamiliar with this era in Star Wars and a great deal of it will be used from the OT too.
Plus I think after all the TFA stuff you are seeing on clearance that they will really need an off year far as merchandising goes to score big with Episode VIII next year.
I think this could be a good film but there’s no question it won’t have the toyetic qualities of the saga ones.
I think you underestimate this movie’s toy potential. There are tons of new ships and trooper designs. Kids are going to eat that stuff up.
Only seen a few so far and I’m sure they are anticipating people bemoaning where all this new stuff was in the OT though even in IV-VI there wasn’t that many new designs compared with the PT.
That’s the thing. Little kids (toy buyers) don’t care, and parents (their wallets) will give their kids toys to shut them up.
Edwards is a serviceable director. MONSTERS and GODZILLA were both… movies. That’s as much praise as I can give his work. I’m sure “Rogue One” will be… a movie. Will it be a good movie? I guess we’ll find out in 6 months. The trailer did nothing for me one way or the other.
I can’t help but hear Hannibal every time Mads Mikkelsen talks.