After stunning Netflix subscribers worldwide with his powerhouse turn in the first season of star-studded drama Bloodline, Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn certainly appears to be on the rise. And now, after a career of strong supporting performances, he could be about to get his big break: Deadline reports that he may be joining the cast of Star Wars: Rogue One.
Details on the first Star Wars spinoff, which will be directed by Godzilla helmer Gareth Edwards and boasts a script by Chris Weitz (Cinderella) and Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli), are pretty sparse. Oscar nominee Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) has bagged the lead role, but rumors suggesting that the pic will be a heist movie revolving around bounty hunters who steal blueprints for a Death Star are still unconfirmed.
Regardless, it’s exciting to hear that Mendelsohn is on the cusp of landing a major studio role like this. The actor has long been a go-to backup player for directors like Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines), Ridley Scott (Exodus: Gods and Kings), Andrew Dominik (Killing Them Softly) and Baz Luhrmann (Australia), and though there’s no indication he’ll become a Hollywood leading man in the near future (or that he has any interest in being one), his touch has improved nearly every movie in which he’s played a role.
Star Wars: Rogue One will hit theaters on December 16th, 2016, about a year after this winter’s hotly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At the rate the rumor mill is always churning on everything Star Wars, we’ll likely know far, far more about what role Mendelsohn is playing – if any – before that franchise restarter arrives in theaters.
