Star Wars Rogue One: Is Ben Mendelsohn in or Out?

MovieWeb

By B. Alan Orange

Published Apr 18, 2015

Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn says he'd love a role in Star Wars Rogue One but denies any truth to the rumor.

As Star Wars Celebration continues to rage on in Anaheim, California, the one movie we've yet to hear anymore about is the first official spinoff titled Rogue One. While we know Felicity Jones is the lead and that Gareth Edwards will direct, we don't know anything about the story at this point. Gareth Edwards is showing up for a Star Wars Celebration panel along with second spinoff director Josh Trank on Sunday. So maybe we'll learn more there. Today, Coming Soon caught up with actor Ben Mendelsohn, rumored to be the male lead in Rogue One. Sadly, he had little to add to the conversation except enthusiasm for the project.

Last seen in this year's adventure yarn Black Sea and this past week's thriller Lost River, Ben Mendelsohn is heavily rumored to be one of the main characters in Rogue One. He seems to love that idea, and would sign on in a heartbeat. But he claims the rumors we've all heard are not true. He says:

"All I can say is that I've heard these rumors myself and I would be thrilled if something like that were to come to pass, and I can say with all truthfulness that there's nothing definitive to those rumors. So who knows?"

The thing we've learned about all of this recent blockbuster casting is that actors will lie. Its very possible that Ben Mendelsohn is signed on. But its hard to get too excited about it just yet, as we have no idea what character he'd be playing, or what his role in the mystery story will even be. Asked if he'd blindly jump into the movie, or if he would have to read a script before accepting the part, he states:

"I'm a huge fan of it, but I don't know. I'm not sure."

The actor goes onto tease that everyone will know if he auditioned for a role and if he landed it shortly after it actually happens. This was all said with a smile and nod of the head. We're sure to hear more about Rogue One as Star Wars Celebration continues, so stay tuned for the director's panel taking place between 11am and 12 pm (PST) tomorrow (at this time, it doesn't look like this will be streaming live, but that may change)!