Rumor: Ben Mendelsohn Sighted for Star Wars: Rogue One Role

Ben MendelsohnAccording to a recent set of rumors, actor Ben Mendelsohn is being sighted for a role in Star Wars: Rogue One.

 

 

This bit of information comes from reporter Jeff Sneider, and it is also supported via Deadline.

 

 

Some of Mendelsohn’s more notable credits include The Dark Knight Rises, The Place Beyond The Pines, Exodus: Gods And Kings, Animal Kingdom, Killing Them Softly, and Netflix’s Bloodline.

 

 

Bear in mind that this is a very early rumor, with no official word from Disney or Lucasfilm, so take it with a grain of salt. Right now, all we know for sure about Rogue One is limited to its lead actress (Felicity Jones), its director (Gareth Edwards), and its writers (Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz). We’ll (probably) learn a bit more about the movie come Star Wars Celebration.

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

45 thoughts on “Rumor: Ben Mendelsohn Sighted for Star Wars: Rogue One Role

  • March 26, 2015 at 10:32 am
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    I hope it is about the Death Star plans!

    • March 26, 2015 at 2:18 pm
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      A back story to ANH would be beyond awesome! The rebels from ‘Rebels’ could absolutely seal their fate! on stealing the Death Star plans for the rebels huh? lol

    • March 26, 2015 at 5:45 pm
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      Leave that for the Rebels TV show. This should cover new ground.

      • March 28, 2015 at 10:52 am
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        If Ezra is a day older than Luke then will Rebels take place over a Five to nine year period, or will Ezra and the crew of the ghost just sit on the plans for half a decade?

        I don’t think the show Rebels is going that far down the line.

        • March 28, 2015 at 2:36 pm
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          Rebels takes place 5 years before ANH. After the first season we are now a year closer more or less to that point. To say that they won’t be involved in any Death Star plans heist will be a missed opportunity for the last season. Totally useless and a wasted opportunity for a film. They won’t “sit” on the plans when the timeline isn’t that far out. In fact I can already picture a good ending for the show based on that mission.

    • March 26, 2015 at 7:59 pm
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      No thanks, i’d prefer Rogue One be set in the ST timeline. Let the novels and comics deal with all the backstories.

      • March 28, 2015 at 10:55 am
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        Then why call it Rogue One and not Rogue Won?

        • March 28, 2015 at 2:47 pm
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          You do realize that One in the title is referred to as Leader right?

  • March 26, 2015 at 11:32 am
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    Prune Face mam!

    • March 26, 2015 at 8:50 pm
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      That’s some deep acting.

  • March 26, 2015 at 2:27 pm
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    Hope he doesn’t get killed off in the first hour of the movie. And isn’t there a media blackout on Rogue One publicity due to Mission Impossible Rogue Nation until after the summer? You won’t hear any info in April then.

  • March 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
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    Isnt there a media nlackout on Rogue One oublicity due to Mission Impossible until after summer? You wont hear anything at celebration.

    • March 26, 2015 at 6:19 pm
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      They just aren’t able to refer to it as Rogue One in any of the promotional material. If they wanted to they could still release info and refer to it as the stand alone film.

    • March 26, 2015 at 7:16 pm
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      There is a media blackout on public marketing due to the settlement between paramount and Disney, but Disney requested a specific clause excluding celebration Anaheim announcements. So the blackout only prevents big marketing campaigns until after Rogue Nation. The fact that they bothered to negotiate that implies we are definitely getting something at celebration even if it is just a small nugget.

  • March 26, 2015 at 3:01 pm
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    This actor has a cool vibe. For the most part I think Australian accents (and all other non-northern American and non-British accents) clash with the star wars world because they evoke specific Earth geography but somehow this actor draws you in enough to forget about that clash.

    • March 26, 2015 at 4:48 pm
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      I don’t see the problem. Some Australian dialects seem quite close enough to British, so I don’t think it’ll be too noticeable. And besides, I’ve heard Ben use several different accents over the course of his career, depending on the role.

      Another Australian actor, who I think would do excellent in Star Wars, is John Noble. If they want someone who has the gravitas of a Peter Cushing/Tarkin type, for an Imperial, and isn’t an instantly recognizable name/face, John Noble is the perfect choice.

      Honestly, when JJ got the job for Episode 7, I was almost positive that he would cast John Noble as an Imperial, due to Noble’s role in Fringe, as Walter Bishop. I’m still holding out hope! Guys like Ben Mendelsohn and John Noble are of the master class, without having to be A list celebrity actors.

      • March 26, 2015 at 7:29 pm
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        For imperial beurocrats I’d like to see some of the bad guys who were in The Constant Gardener particularly the older guy with long grey hair. Also the actor of Zark from Tron.

  • March 26, 2015 at 3:22 pm
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    For these standalone films, I hope they’re still going to use the yellow SW intro logo and scroll and all that shit.
    They wouldn’t dare change that would they? What if they were to change the color to blue or something? People would probably freak out.

    • March 26, 2015 at 4:33 pm
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      I kind of hope they /do/ change the colors. what if “a long time ago…” and the crawl colors were transposed? maybe even a different font and movement for the crawl (if any) as well.

      • March 26, 2015 at 4:51 pm
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        different scroll movement? you mean like have the words going top-down or left-right?! SW fans across the globe would revolt and riot in the streets if the font, colors, and movements were changed

      • March 26, 2015 at 5:19 pm
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        I bet they’ll have something similar like in Clone Wars or Rebels(Logo only in Rebels, Logo in Clone Wars with an audio bit by Tom Kane to replace the scroll). I bet they will still do the “A long time ago…” thing at the beginning…maybe they’ll do the scroll too, who knows?. I think it’d be cool to do the “A long time ago…” and then immediately cut to an intense dog fight sequence. At the end of that sequence the film’s logo could come up subtly as we transition to the next scene. Something different yet familiar at the very start. Personally, I’m going to miss the 20th Century Fox fanfare at the beginning of the main trilogy films just about as much as if they left out the scroll…I hope those are pretty spot on with the others, but I kind of look at the spin-offs as a chance to do something a little different and fresh. Just my opinion.

    • March 26, 2015 at 4:52 pm
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      I wish they would use the original 1975-1976 McQuarrie logo.

      And if they do an opening crawl, maybe change the font.

      • March 26, 2015 at 5:03 pm
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        And when the movie ends, it should read: “The End” in big cursive letters

  • March 26, 2015 at 3:23 pm
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    Kinda looks like a young Max Von Sydow… Hmm 😉

  • March 26, 2015 at 4:00 pm
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    This actor really looks quite a bit like Trevor Goodchild from the Aeon Flux animated series.

  • March 26, 2015 at 4:41 pm
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    Mendelsohn won’t be a lead hero in this film. 100% booking on it that he’s going to be a villain.

    Quite possibly an Imperial?

    I’ve seen this guy in a BUNCH of films, and he usually plays “eccentric”, sometimes almost “androgynous” villains that exemplify excess and cowardice, and will likely have some REAL muscle/brute force character operating in unison with him, because generally, his characters prefer not to get their hands dirty.

    Any film I’ve seen him in, I’ve absolutely HATED HIM. Not because he’s a bad actor, no, no, he’s GREAT. A tremendous talent. But he does his job so well that you absolutely loathe him. He’s the kind of guy you’d like to slap in the face or buy a ticket to see him get his ass kicked.

    His style and gravitas on the screen reminds me a lot of William Fichtner. Ben is a great choice as a villain, just look at his work in The Dark Knight Rises or Exodus Gods & Kings as a secondary villainous character.

    He’s genuinely never the main baddie, but someone who is affluent and has tremendous influence, and will go to extremes to keep his position of power.

    I think he’s a magnificent choice for a villain. And I’d be absolutely SHOCKED if he was cast as a hero. I’ve never seen him play a hero, and I’m not sure if he can pull it off. In Pro Wrestling terms, he’s the quintessential heel.

    He will make an excellent foil for Edgar Ramirez or Aaron Paul or whoever they decide to cast alongside Felicity Jones in the hero roles, but if they’ve cast him against his type, and he’s a hero, it’s going to be quite a change of pace, and not at all what I would expect. He’s the absolute apex of sniveling, condescending villainy, and is a somewhat recognizable face, but not a household name. Excellent casting choice, if indeed he has been cast as an Imperial villain.

    I know the EU is dead and gone, but if they decided to paint him blue and give him a vast art collection, he’d make a helluva Thrawn, in my opinion. (A much better one than Benedict Cumberbatch, who everyone continues to unfortunately clamor for – I’d rather watch paint dry!)

    • March 26, 2015 at 5:00 pm
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      Agreed. I though he played a GREAT part in the Dark Knight Rises. He was an excellent scumbag and dare I say an excellent antagonist (Imperial officer maybe?)

    • March 26, 2015 at 5:00 pm
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      You’d rather watch paint dry?

      If you’re going to punish yourself like that, just watch Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones back-to-back instead.

      • March 26, 2015 at 5:57 pm
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        You forgot to mention Revenge of the Sith.

      • March 26, 2015 at 9:08 pm
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        The prequels are far more entertaining than anything Cumberbatch has ever or will ever do, atleast, to my eyes. I understand the hate for the prequels, but I will never understand the love for Cumberbatch. Most overrated actor of our generation.

  • March 26, 2015 at 6:07 pm
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    Shhh… Don’t talk about Rogue One. Sony will think we’re getting confused with Mission: Impossible.

  • March 26, 2015 at 6:35 pm
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    This actor’s been absolutely amazing in every single thing I’ve seen him in. Great news!

  • March 26, 2015 at 7:00 pm
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    Well I’ve never heard of him, but he’s awesome in that “I am Anxiety” clip.
    Good actor, cool vibe, never heard of him, Seems perfect for the SW universe!

  • March 26, 2015 at 9:13 pm
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    Great news. He is a fantastic actor. Saw him in Killing Them Softly where he play this lowlife junkie robber. He has this certain unsettling tension to him in his scenes and i agree with previous posters that he will probably play a villain, im sure of it.
    He is a very subtle actor like the great ones always are , never over the top. Less is more kinda guy.

  • March 27, 2015 at 2:19 am
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    I would have Rogue One based on snatching the death star plans but have Kanan and Ashoka be part of the team with Ezra.

    • March 27, 2015 at 6:47 pm
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      They should stay in animated form. This has to be something new. The Death Star plans can be resolved on the show as well. Why must we backtrack when they can easily put this movie between ROTJ and TFA or between VII and VIII.

  • March 27, 2015 at 3:41 am
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    I think he may play Wedge Antilles if Lawson isn’t coming back

    • March 27, 2015 at 10:55 pm
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      i had kinda thought about that too; if not wedge he’s definitely very wedge-ish 😛 definitely totally down with this guy in the star wars universe in whatever capacity, villian, veteran rebel pilot, etc..

    • March 28, 2015 at 11:11 am
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      How? Why? Wedge is not the only pilot to portray. I see no Wedge in this actor, nor do I care if Wedge exists.
      Biggs Darklighter was cooler than Wedge.
      We need someone new not recycled beans.
      I’d like to see a rag tag bunch with spliced together Space fighters that are the precursor to the Nobel Rogue Squadron. The folks before Luke and Biggs.
      Star Wars Rebles are like freedom fighters utilizing gorilla tactics on missions, its more like the A team in space than Top Gun.
      I want a Dirty Dozen meets the Dogfight movies like Twelve o’clock High.

  • March 28, 2015 at 5:12 pm
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    I have seen this guy in Killing them softly and Animal Kingdom. Very good actor. I am starting to feel that Disney is taking these spin off movies a bit more seriously. Could the spin off movies be a bit more darker aka “R” rating???

    • March 28, 2015 at 6:30 pm
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      An R rated Star Wars movie is a no go. We’ll probably be seeing more PG-13 movies in the future though.

      • March 29, 2015 at 5:02 am
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        The ratings system and standard is going to change from generation to generation.
        Some of what was considered R rated in the 80s will be permissible now.
        Watch Episodic TV in the 80s compared to now.
        Body shots and language have treaded new ground that would have made news headlines a decade ago.

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