In just a few short weeks we’ll be introduced to the latest villain in the Star Wars universe, with Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn set to portray Orson Krennic, Director of the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Imperial Military, in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Of course, Krennic isn’t the only bad guy set to appear in the film, as we’ll also see the return of Darth Vader, and during an interview with Empire, Mendelsohn has spoken about Krennic’s relationship with the Dark Lord of the Sith, and now they don’t exactly see eye to eye.
“It’s fair to say Lord Vader and he aren’t friendly,” said Mendelsohn. “Darth is very much about the Force. Krennic is force. Not really down with the whole mystical thing. [Krennic does not come] from the aristocracy of the Empire, if you like. He is truly a man that has made his own way up the chain through his own abilities. His weapon, for instance, is a very old type of blaster, because he’s an old warrior dude. He’s been put in charge of making this thing happen. And it’s gonna get done!”
SEE ALSO: Watch the final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set for release on December 15th in the UK and December 16th in the States, with a cast that includes Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Diego Luna (Milk), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises), Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Alan Tudyk (Con Man), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler), Genevieve O’Reilly (Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith), Jimmy Smits (Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones), James Earl Jones (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), Valene Kane (The Fall), Alistair Petrie (The Night Manager), Warwick Davis (Star Wars: Episode IV – Return of the Jedi) and Jonathan Aris (Sherlock).
Originally published November 25, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
