Werner Herzog is a filmmaking treasure. He has a distinct voice and filmmaking style, and sometimes he even goes in front of the camera -- see his underrated and love-to-hate turn as the villain in Jack Reacher.
Now, Herzog co-stars in the new Disney+ Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, from writer and executive producer Jon Favreau (Iron Man, 2019's The Lion King). He recently sat down with Varietyto discuss his experience working with Favreau -- and his total lack of awareness regarding Fav's CV. This is an interview for the ages. Herzog is legend.
Herzog doesn't strike us as a Star Wars fan, but hearing him talk about his experiences on The Mandalorian add extra insight into how he views filmmaking.
Of course, the main thing people are abuzz about are the answers Herzog gave to the next set of questions:
It should not be surprising that Herzog has not seen a Star Wars movie -- or any of Favreau's other films. It honestly deepens my appreciation for Favreau's interpersonal skills. He was able to connect outside a nerd-level with this man -- one of his filmmaking idols -- and explain his story on elevated terms. Herzog not watching movies and choosing to read is very erudite and kind of expected.
As for what he is working on next, the filmmaker is gearing up for an ambitious project:
Herzog sort of leans into his dry persona here, and it is great. He seems to be aware of his "brand" -- his shtick -- and is sticking with it.
Also, his volcano movie is rad. Definitely check it out. And also watch him on Mandalorian, which is streaming now on Disney+.
