It's hard to believe it's been more than half a decade since The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+. That auspicious premiere kicked off what would become an epic new saga for the Star Wars franchise, one that introduced some of the most beloved characters to date. While Grogu, aka “Baby Yoda,” and Pedro Pascal’s Mando get most of the attention, there was another that caught my attention: Werner Herzog’s The Client. So it was thrilling for me to speak to Herzog about his role on behalf of CinemaBlend.

I couldn’t get over the fact that Herzog, the acclaimed filmmaker behind some of the most decorated documentaries of all time, was playing a high-ranking member of the former Galactic Empire. And, even after these past several years, that sense of remains so all these years later. So, when I recently caught up with Herzog to discuss his Ghost Elephants documentary, I asked how his role came together. It turns out, Jon Favreau deserves a lot of credit:

The fact that Favreau, who created the series that is about to launch the first new Star Wars movie in seven years (this summer’s The Mandalorian & Grogu) specifically wanted Herzog to play a part in his show is just so cool. Though I was already familiar with Herzog and his body of work at the time, I like to imagine his brief appearance introduced him to a whole new audience.

Herzog previously said that not only was he not familiar with any of Favreau’s previous films, but he also had never watched a single Star Wars movie, which is wild to think about. That said, I got the impression that the filmmaker enjoyed his time on set, even if he didn’t think that Grogu was cute. (At least he didn’t punch the puppet like one of his co-stars in the show’s first season.)

Later on, I asked Herzog, who is no stranger to working in extreme locations on ambitious projects, what it was like working on The Mandalorian. That question seemed to have unlocked some long-buried memory, as the German director started to geek out about the new technology Favreau used to bring the alien planets to life, both in the finished product and on set. As Herzog explained:

While it's been seven years since Herzog appeared on The Mandalorian (his character didn’t make it to the Season 1 finale), I could pick up that the experience meant something to him, both then and now. For all of that to come as a result of an invite from one of his biggest fans is truly magical.

If you’ve ever wanted to go back and revisit Werner Herzog’s performance as The Client in The Mandalorian, the full series is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. You will also be able to use that to watch Ghost Elephants when it makes its streaming debut on March 8th.

Though I don’t want to call Werner Herzog a nature documentarian, the acclaimed and highly influential filmmaker has crafted what I consider some of the most transformative and evocative nature films of all time. With dozens of critically acclaimed documentaries under his belt, the prolific German director has explored how people find purpose and themselves in the wild, and it’s no different for his latest effort, Ghost Elephants.

In the new National Geographic documentary, which has just premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, Herzog follows naturalist Steve Boyes as he searches for what is believed to be an undiscovered species of African elephants hidden away atop the High Plateau of Angola, while the director explores what happens when dreams become reality. While the entire documentary is great, there’s one scene that still has me rattled weeks after watching it.

Early on in Ghost Elephants, the camera crew follows an elephant as it walks and plays in a body of water to escape the midday sun. This sequence, which plays out for nearly three minutes, is utterly mesmerizing with its focus on the gentle and seemingly weightless creature escaping the grueling heat of the midday sun. For those few moments, the sequence allows the audience to escape reality and enter a dreamlike state where nothing else exists.

When I caught up with Herzog ahead of the film’s release, I mentioned how elated I became upon watching this sequence and how much it added to the experience, and I was shocked to discover that he had a similar experience upon first seeing the footage. Describing it as “the finest of all surprises,” the director revealed:

It is indeed incredibly beautiful. The sequence, which was previewed in a 2025 interview Herzog gave with 60 Minutes, is one of the moments throughout Ghost Elephants where the audience is reminded that this is more than an expedition to find an elephant that may or may not exist, but instead a meditation on the beauty and purity of the natural world.

When I asked Herzog about this scene and how it gives the documentary this dreamlike quality, he was quick to point out that this isn’t just a report about an expedition. Instead, it’s something “much deeper,” a story about our dreams becoming reality:

This pursuit he’s alluding to is that of Steve Boyes, the main subject of the documentary. After spending decades in search of these mythical creatures, larger than any elephant ever seen alive by man, the naturalist comes closer than ever to meeting his dream. To that point, Herzog offered a simple, yet deep observation:

Does Boyes find his Moby Dick? Do his dreams become reality? Best not to give it away.

Ghost Elephants is playing in select theaters nationwide and will be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel on Saturday, March 7th, with a streaming debut the following day for anyone with a Disney+ subscription.

It's not unusual for directors to star in their own movies. Alfred Hitchcock famously made cameos in almost all of his movies and Quentin Tarantino appears in all of his in one way or another. It's rarer for a director to appear in a fellow director's movie. It's hardly unheard of, as we found plenty of interesting examples. So without further ado, here is our list of directors who appeared on other directors' movies.

Steven Spielberg - The Blues Brothers

Before the tragic accident on the set of The Twilight Zone, John Landis and Steven Spielberg were good friends. So good, in fact, that Spielberg showed up in a cameo in the Landis classic The Blues Brothers. Spielberg plays the Cook Country Accessor at the end of the movie who takes payment from Jake and Elwood.

David Lynch - The Fablemans

In a very meta moment, David Lynch plays another great director, John Ford, in Steven Spielberg's The Fablemans. The late Lynch didn't show up in movies often, even his own, so it's a fun moment in a movie by a legend, starring a legend as a legend.

John Landis - Spider-man 2

John Landis has twice done cameos in Sam Rami movies, both times appearing as a doctor, the most famous of which was in Spider-Man 2 where he plays a doctor killed by Doctor Octopus after performing surgery on the villain. It's a super quick moment and one that is easy to miss.

David Fincher - Being John Malkovich

David Fincher has occasionally popped into his own movies, including playing the voice of John Doe on the telephone so as to not give away the surprise later. He also has shown up in other directors' movies, specifically as a puppet expert in Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich.

Roger Corman - The Silence Of The Lambs

Legendary B-movie director Roger Corman has a habit of showing up in other directors' work. It makes sense as he's a huge hero to many filmmakers who grew up watching his movies. In Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, Corman plays the FBI director in one scene.

George Lucas - Beverly Hills Cop III

Beverly Hills Cop 3 is a pretty terrible movie, though thankfully the franchise was redeemed decades later with Axel F. Still, there is a pretty funny cameo in the movie when none other than George Lucas pops into the movie as a disgruntled patron of the amusement park that is central to the story.

Tim Burton - Singles

Tim Burton is not a director that shows up on the other side of the camera very often. In fact he has fleetingly few acting roles, but he does appear in Cameron Crowe's Singles. Crowe also has a cameo himself in the film.

Sam Raimi - Miller's Crossing

Sam Raimi is a director with a lot of acting roles on his resume, in his own film and in the movies by friends of his. One such cameo is in Miller's Crossing, a movie by the Coen Brothers. Raimi also has a cameo in another Coen Brothers movie, The Hudsucker Proxy.

Gus Van Sant - The Canyons

Gus Van Sant has a bit more than just a cameo in The Canyons, a movie that flew way under the radar when it was released in 2013, starring Lindsey Lohan. Van Sant plays a psychologist in the movie and has more than a couple lines, unlike many on this list.

Quentin Tarantino - Sleep With Me

Quentin Tarantino is always happy to cast himself in his own movies, but even before he was one of the premiere directors in Hollywood, he was popping up in movies he didn't direct. In Sleep With Me, by director Rory Kelly, which came out a month before Pulp Fiction, Tarantino has a memorable moment as a chatty party guest who breaks down the movie Top Gun in a very unconventional way.

Martin Scorsese - Quiz Show

Martin Scorsese's most famous on screen moment is as a rider in Travis' (Robert De Niro) cab in his own movie, Taxi Driver. He also shows up in Qui Show, directed by Robert Redford.

Tobe Hooper - Sleepwalkers

Tobe Hooper is a horror movie legend for his work directing the slasher classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the 1970s. In 1992 he popped up in a cameo working alongside Stephen King in the adaptation of King's novel Sleepwalkers.

John Waters - Something Wild

Director John Waters has been in many of his own movies, but he occasionally shows up in other movies as well, like Something Wild by director Jonathan Demme in 1986. Waters plays a sketchy car dealer in the movie and is one of the most fun parts of the movie.

Amy Heckerling - Into The Night

1985's Into the Night was John Landis' return to directing after being cleared of manslaughter charges as a result of the on-set tragedy during the filming of The Twilight Zone movie. In the movie, another director, Amy Heckerling, shows up in a cameo as a waitress.

Jonathan Demme - That Thing You Do!

Appropriately Jonathan Demme, who had a number of directors appear in his films, plays a film director in That Thing You Do! It's a brief role, of course, and it is one of the only times the late Demme appeared in another director's film. Into the Night by John Landis being another.

Roger Corman - The Godfather Part II

Roger Corman, one of the most influential directors of all time had a few cameos over his career with one of the most memorable coming in The Godfather II, where he played one of the senators grilling Michael Corlene (Al Pacino) in the Francis Ford Coppola classic.

Spike Jonze - The Game

Before David Fincher returned the favor for Spike Jonze in Being John Malkovich, Jonze appeared in Fincher's The Game, one of the most underrated movies by a big-time director.

Wes Craven - Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back

The late Wes Craven appeared in movies or TV shows as an actor 24 times according to IMDB, though most of his movie appearances were in his own movies. One exception was when he appeared in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back playing a version of himself directing a cartoonish version of Scream.

Frank Oz - Spies Like Us

Frank Oz has appeared as an actor in a bunch of movies, including The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Knives Out, not to mention all his puppet and voice work over the years. One of his best cameos came in Spies Like Us where he played the proctor of a civil service exam. It's truly a classic and maybe the funniest moment in the movie.

Cameron Crowe - Minority Report

Cameron Crowe has a very brief cameo as a man on riding public transportation in Minority Report by director Steven Spielberg. If you blink - or aren't sure what he looks like - you're sure to miss the moment, but it's there. In fact, another Cameron, Cameron Diaz, is in the background of the same scene.

Robert Downey, Sr. - Boogie Nights

In his day, Robert Downey Sr. was pretty famous. Of course, that fame has been eclipsed by his son, but that doesn't mean he did carry a lot of respect within the industry even late in his life. Like when Paul Thomas Anderson worked him into a cameo in Boogie Nights.

Frank Darabont - King Kong

For many, The Shawshank Redemption is the best movie of the 1990s. It's director, Frank Darabont, doesn't make a cameo in Shawshank or any of his other movies, but he is very briefly in Peter Jackson's King Kong. It's another "blink-and-you-will-miss-it" kind of role.

Lawrence Kasdan - As Good As It Gets

Writer and director Lawrence Kasdan is most famous for writing both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He's also directed movies like Grand Canyon, The Big Chill, and Silverado. On rare occasions, he's taken acting roles like he did in As Good As It Gets, by director James L. Brooks of Simpsons fame. Kasdan plays a psychologist in the movie.

James Cameron - The Muse

The Muse, directed by Albert Brooks, features a handful of cameos by famous directors including Martin Scorsese and Rob Reiner. In a rare appearance on the other side camera is also director James Cameron, who only has a few acting credits to his name.

Mel Brooks - The Muppet Movie

it's certainly not surprising to see Mel Brooks on the big screen, but it is rare to see in a movie that he didn't write and direct. That's part of what makes his cameo in The Muppet Movie so much fun. The legendary EGOT winner plays the evil Professor Krassman who is working to control the minds of frogs. It's worth noting that despite his delightful performance, it's not one that contributed to his EGOT.

Eli Roth - Inglourious Basterds

Eli Roth is as much an actor as he is a director, though in recent years he's concentrated on the latter. Sure he appears in his own films, but he's also been a collaborator with Quentin Tarantino a couple of times, first in Death Proof and then in a more prominent role in Inglourious Basterds.

Jim Jarmusch - Sling Blade

Director Jim Jarmusch has a unique style as a director and so it makes sense he would appear in a movie with its own unique angle, Sling Blade, by director and actor Billy Bob Thornton. Jarmusch plays the server at a food truck in the movie, serving up French fried potaters.

David Cronenberg - Jason X

David Cronenberg has a long history with the Friday The 13th franchise, having directed an episode of Friday the 13th: The Series in 1988. He shows up in a cameo in Jason X.

John Sayles - Malcolm X

John Sayles has directed some great movies over the years including Eight Men Out and Passion Fish. He's also occasionally done a bit of acting, mostly in cameos like as a memorable FBI agent in Spike Lee's classic Malcolm X.

Werner Herzog - Jack Reacher

German director is never shy about being in front of the camera as he often appears in his own films and occasionally acts in other stuff, like playing a wonderful role on The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. He also makes a great cameo in the Tom Cruise-led Jack Reacher from 2012.

Martin Brest - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Before Martin Brest hit the big time as a director of such '80s classics as Beverly Hills Cop and the criminally underrated Midnight Run, he scored a small acting role as a coroner in Fast Times At Ridgemont High by director Amy Heckerling.

Orson Welles - The Muppet Movie

Mel Brooks has a fairly substantial role in The Muppet Movie, but he's not the only director to appear in the movie. Hollywood legend Orson Welles also appears in the movie. Welles was a huge fan of Jim Henson and the Muppets and worked with them on more than one occassion as well.

At this point, it’s a well-known fact that The Mandalorian has become a runaway hit for Disney+ and Lucasfilm. A lot of its popularity is, of course, due to the worldwide popularity of The Child or Baby Yoda. Naturally, the cast and crew have spent plenty of time talking about what it was like to work with the character on set, and you have to wonder how they feel about getting constant questions on the topic. Well, one Mandalorian star is opening up how he feels about getting Baby Yoda questions on such a frequent basis.

Werner Herzog, who played The Client during the first season of The Mandalorian, was recently asked how he felt about the prospect of getting Baby Yoda questions for the rest of his life. Believe it or not, the veteran actor and filmmaker actually has no problem “saying something good” about Baby Yoda for the foreseeable future:

It's honestly nice to hear Werner Herzog share those sentiments with THR, and they’re not surprising. Of all the stars of The Mandalorian, Herzog has arguably been the most vocal about working with the Baby Yoda puppet. While he has previously admitted that he doesn’t find the puppet to be cute, he does appreciate the sculpting and technological craft that went in to creating it.

It would also appear that Werner Herzog formed a very personal connection with Baby Yoda. Mandalorian director Deborah Chow once recalled that while filming a scene with Herzog and Baby Yoda, the actor actually started to treat the puppet as if it were real and began to direct it himself.

This is just a testament to how real Baby Yoda has become to so many and, whenever something happens to the character, audiences have passionate responses. This was especially true when Jason Sudeikis’ scout trooper punched Baby Yoda, leading to almost instant backlash on social media.

Despite his character being killed off in the season finale, Werner Herzog is definitely going to be getting questions about Baby Yoda and The Mandalorian as a whole for years to come. But based on his recent comments, he’s sure to have no trouble reflecting on his time with the green, Force-wielding infant.

The Mandalorian Season 2 is set to premiere on Disney+ this fall, while the first season is currently available to stream.

If you haven’t heard about the tiny, green and pointy-eared alien known as Baby Yoda, then you’ve probably been living under a rock for the past few months. The Force-sensitive toddler took the world by storm when he first appeared in the hit Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian. Although most fans are crazy about the newest addition to the galaxy far, far away, not everyone is too high on the animatronic creation, including The Mandalorian’s own Werner Herzog:

Based on these comments he made to The New York Times, Herzog seems to be impressed with the ingenuity that went into constructing Baby Yoda. However, he could seemingly care less about “The Child’s” actual appearance. The actor would later double down on these sentiments with some personal application involving his wife:

Herzog’s thoughts on Baby Yoda are interesting to say the least, but he’s not the only Mandalorian actor to be unphased by the prop. Comedian Adam Pally, who guest starred as a Bike Scout Trooper, even went as far as to punch the puppet.

While many may not share Herzog’s views on Baby Yoda, it’s hard to disagree with the fact that animatronic creations are becoming more robust, and Baby Yoda is at the forefront of that movement. Some have even been inspired to construct their own, which has led to some impressive imitations.

Despite this, some may be exhausted with the Baby Yoda craze, as Disney and Lucasfilm have (wisely) done what they can to capitalize on the creature’s popularity. This includes releasing a look alike toy that makes sounds and appears to use the Force. As you can imagine, many are still trying to get their hands on one.

Season 2 of The Mandalorian has wrapped, which means fans will eventually get their fix of Baby Yoda. Yet with the coronavirus currently stalling Disney’s production plans, it’s unclear if the new season will arrive this fall as planned. Regardless, you can bet Disney and Lucasfilm are going to do everything they can to make sure the Mando’s traveling companion returns sooner rather than later. Season 1 of The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.

Everyone and their brother has an opinion on Star Wars. The space opera saga has become an indelible piece of our pop culture lexicon. There are folks out there who can name characters in this well-established franchise quicker than they can recall the names of their own family members, and the legacy of George Lucas' creation continues with the recent premiere of Disney+'s The Mandalorian, which has largely received a warm response.

But just because you're a part of a well-beloved, world (or should we say galaxy)-recognized, highly lucrative franchise doesn't mean you have to love the property or its legacy — as the glittery cast of the streaming series has proven several times throughout the press cycle for the much-hyped show.

That's right, there are at least a few cast members of the popular new streaming series who have gone on record to say that they're not the biggest Star Wars fans. That's not necessarily uncommon. Alec Guinness, i.e. Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars, famously detested the hit movie. And there are several folks involved with the Star Wars prequels who have gone on to say not-very-nice things about those contested prequels, including Ewan McGregor. What is it with the Obi-Wans? No matter.

The point is, you don't have to love Star Wars to show up on set and make your presence known in the ever-growing franchise. And that's not to say that everyone involved dislikes Star Wars. Far from it, in fact. Let's take a moment to see what the cast of The Mandalorian has to say about Star Wars, based on collected interviews and various other discussions forms with the ensemble.

Bill Burr (TBA)

Bill Burr is perfectly blunt when it comes to his opinions. It's one of the many reasons why people love him. The irreverent comedian isn't shy about speaking his mind, even if it goes against the general consensus, and that's certainly true about Star Wars. The comic has been open about his total disregard for the Star Wars franchise, admitting that he didn't watch the movies as a child and never got the fandom when he later watched them as an adult. Burr was particularly volatile against the space saga franchise when he appeared on Conan in 2015, mere days before The Force Awakens stormed its way into the world. Check out his heightened appearance:

As someone who has publicly dismissed both Star Wars and its fanbase, it's surprising — to say the least — that Bill Burr wound up playing a part in such a prominent new Star Wars project. Nevertheless, as the actor/comedian revealed in the podcast The Last Laugh, Michael Binder, the director of his Netflix special Paper Tiger, is friends with The Mandalorian's showrunner Jon Favreau.

The comedian and the writer/director then wound up at a birthday party together, where Jon Favreau revealed that he had a role in the series that would be a good fit for Bill Burr. The comedian was upfront about his history of making fun of Star Wars, but Favreau said he would be funny if he decided to join for that reason. Once Burr agreed to do it though, his tune started to change. He claimed that the show is "so fucking badass." So whether or not Burr likes Star Wars, he's happy to be doing The Mandalorian. Furthermore, Bill Burr claimed in a separate interview with Metro that he isn't actually that negative on the franchise. In fact, the comedian admits that he's actually "a fan."

So basically, the comedian just ballooned anything negative he had to say for his bits because he wanted to get a rise of people. Classic Bill Burr.

Gina Carano (Cara Dune)

Gina Carano has scored some major parts over the years in movies like Haywire and Deadpool, to name a mere couple, but the former MMA fighter received her biggest acting role to date in Disney+'s The Mandolorian playing the character Cara Dune. The athlete-turned-actress is extremely excited for the opportunity, and Carano claimed in an interview with Us Magazine that she believes Star Wars is such a humungous part of pop culture for a damn good reason, particularly since nearly everyone connects with the legacy and the themes in some fashion or another (besides Bill Burr, naturally).

Gina Carano said she would likely have taken any part that was given to her just to be in this universe, but when she saw what Jon Favreau had in mind for her, she cried with excitement. Here's hoping fans get that emotional for her character's arc this season.

Taika Waititi (IG-11)

Taika Waititi is better known for his work as a filmmaker, especially at the helm of movies like What We Do In The Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok, and, most recently, Jojo Rabbit. But as anyone who has seen those projects will know, Waititi is an actor as well, and he provides his voice to the role of IG-11 in The Mandolorian. The New Zealand multi-talent was incredibly honored for the opportunity to appear in this Star Wars series

Taika Waititi also expressed his vast appreciation for the opportunity to direct an episode of The Mandalorian, in addition to lending his voice to this key role, in that same interview. He further told Joe.ie that he'd love the opportunity to direct a Star Wars movie as well, should he be given the keys to such a major property. Just imagine Star Wars characters with Ragnarok-esque insanity.

Werner Herzog (The Client)

The man, the myth, and the legend Werner Herzog is one of arthouse cinema's greatest treasures. That's what makes his odd involvement in The Mandalorian all the more perplexing... and fascinating, especially for movie lovers. Who could possibly imagine in their wildest dreams the absurd thought of Herzog appearing in a Star Wars project? Nevertheless, the auteur is involved, and he made a hell of an impression in the first episode. But it shouldn't be too surprising that the German director doesn't necessarily have a long, lasting relationship to the Star Wars movies.

Sure enough, the famed filmmaker admitted in a Variety interview that his familiarity with the science fantasy property and the work of showrunner Jon Favreau was low before he agreed to appear in this new Disney+ streaming series. But he also admitted that it wasn't due to a lack of interest. Rather, Werner Herzog says he prefers to dive into a book rather than go to the movies, even despite his established career as a hard-working filmmaker. Also, it should be noted that Herzog doesn't believe that watching the movie and diving into the thick lore of Star Wars was necessary to play this new part.

That said, in a later interview with Deadline, Werner Herzog went on to say that he considered The Mandalorian to be "cinema at its best." So the legendary German filmmaker clearly was appreciative of the work he was doing in the streaming exclusive series. He also praised the big vision of showrunner Jon Favreau. Therefore, even though he might not be familiar with the franchise or Favreau's other movies, he clearly liked the work done.

Carl Weathers (Greef Karga)

A veteran actor with a prolific career, Carl Weathers is an immense talent, and he's one of the many actors who appear in The Mandolorian. But where does he stand on Star Wars? Admittedly, his relationship with George Lucas' famous property is a little more in-depth compared to Bill Burr and Werner Herzog. In an interview with Extra Butter, Weathers admitted that he saw the original movie in San Fransisco, and the actor thinks it's "cool" to be part of such a major franchise several years later.

Carl Weathers claims that being involved in Star Wars means that you're in "the capsule" of pop culture, and that he'll live forever thanks to his involvement with such a major property. That would already be the case with something like Rocky, though. Here's what Carl Weathers said in an interview with ComicBook.com.

Moreover, Carl Weathers is not only taken aback by his involvement in the Star Wars property, but by Jon Favreau's vision as well. He's really impressed with what The Mandalorian was able to accomplish so far, and the actor feels honored to be involved with something this massive in scope and scale.

Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian)

It's always a big deal when you get the lead role in a new Star Wars property. Sure enough, Pedro Pascal was given the opportunity to lead The Mandalorian in Disney+'s first original Star Wars series. The only catch is, he'll need to wear a helmet over his head for at least the majority of the show's runtime. Count your blessings, one supposes. Regardless, it's an incredibly thrilling and humbling opportunity for the Game of Thrones actor.

Pedro Pascal certainly agrees with that sentiment. He expressed his wealth of appreciation for the cast and crew during the final days of shooting on his Instagram page. Moreover, he admitted that he's a fan of the franchise, particularly when he admitted in an interview with Disney 23 Magazine (via ComicBookMovie.com) that when he first met with Jon Favreau, he thought he would be offered the part of another famed bounty hunter. In his words:

It may not be Boba Fett, but it's a grand opportunity for the rising actor nonetheless, and Pascal is happy for this privilege.

These are only a few of the actors involved with The Mandolorian, and we're sure everyone involved has their own respective opinions on the franchise and it's long-standing legacy. Whether or not they love Star Wars, everyone involved hopes that you take the time to check out this show on Disney+ while waiting for other great shows to arrive.

Out of the many talented actors and directors involved in Star Wars' first live-action series The Mandalorian, Werner Herzog is one of the more interesting additions. Not only because the noted director doesn't take many acting roles, and can speak about the process from his years of experience behind the camera, but also because he's never actually watched Star Wars.

Hold off on the shock for just a bit, because Werner Herzog recently shared his joy on being a part of the upcoming Disney+ series, as well as what sets it apart from the movies.

Actors often do a good job of expressing emotion in front of a green screen, but obviously having physical sets and the like to interact with may make things a bit easier. Being able to see his surroundings as he interacted with them was something Werner Herzog appreciated, as he described the difference as a "phenomenal step forward" in the process.

Of course, this is all from the perspective of someone who's actually never seen a Star Wars movie. Werner Herzog explained to Associated Press he's not completely glib to the franchise, however, and explained the bits about Star Wars he is familiar with.

Not knowing anything about the sequel trilogy for the role is, presumably, not a big deal -- although one has to imagine what was going through Werner Herzog's head while filming The Mandalorian. Did he comprehend the significance of the Empire's demise, or how insane it was the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star not once, but two times? Probably not, but one would think someone brought him up to speed on the story beats he needed to know before filming.

Werner Herzog went on to say he's playing a character "in whom you cannot trust," which might mean he's more familiar with the Empire's side of the story. Of course, there's no shortage of criminal syndicates that weren't necessarily affiliated with any side that profited from the war and mayhem that plagued the galaxy, so maybe fan shouldn't assume Herzog's character is in league with the emperor's fallen faction just yet.

The Mandalorian's first episode is scheduled to release on Disney+'s launch day, which is set for Tuesday, November 12. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates in the meantime, as well as the latest news in movies, television, and pop culture.

Disney+ is on the way, and with it will come the first ever live-action Star Wars television series. Suffice to say there's a ton of hype surrounding The Mandalorian, and people are eager for any and all details regarding the show. Those in search of answers need look no further, because we've got quite a few right here.

What Is The Mandalorian About?

The synopsis for The Mandalorian talks about a lone gunfighter on the Outer Reaches of the galaxy away from the New Republic. Additionally, Jon Favreau has revealed this show will take place five years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, which is quite a ways away from The Force Awakens era. While it's not an impossibility to see characters from the new trilogy, it feels more likely older characters will make an appearance.

The synopsis also name-checked characters like Jango Fett and Boba Fett, and likened the gunfighter to a character similar in that regard because he's a warrior. This might be because all three characters are tied to Mandalore, which explains the title of the story well enough. Is this gunfighter directly related to Jango and Boba, or is the connection more based in the fact that most Mandalorians are warriors, mercenarys, or bounty hunters?

When Will The Mandalorian Premiere?

Here's the good news Star Wars fans, The Mandalorian will launch day one of Disney+'s launch. That's Tuesday, November 12, although we're only going to get the first episode of the season. Future episode air dates have not been confirmed.

The Mandalorian completed principal photography in February, and with Disney+ launching in November, it isn't crazy to think Season 1 will be fully released by the end of 2019. We don't know Disney's reasoning for holding off on the rest of the episodes, which still may need some editing in post-production or something like that. Disney may also be plotting a scheduled release of episodes to stop fans from binging it all at once. We'll just have to see!

Who Has Been Cast In The Mandalorian?

Pedro Pascal has been tapped to play the title character, and is joined by an impressive cast of actors. Known actors include Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Nick Nolte, Carl Weathers, Emily Swallow, and Omid Abtahi. Also, The Mandalorian is being graced by a rare performance by Werner Herzog, so there's really something special happening here.

It's really hard to guess what each actors' role will be, or whether or not these actors are playing humans, droids, aliens, good guys or bad guys. One thing that is worth mentioning is that Omid Abtahi voiced a Mandalorian in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which could possibly mean he's reprising the role of his character. Anything could happen at this point, so, hopefully, more details will emerge to take away some of the mystery ahead of the premiere.

Grief Marga (spelling not confirmed): Carl Weathers' character is the head of a bounty hunters guild, and he's enlisted the Mandalorian to seek out an item of high value for a client. Weathers has described his character as "nefarious," although it's been noted by Jon Favreau and others many characters in The Mandalorian have a bit of moral ambiguity to them. He could be a villain, or just a character a bit more honest with himself and what he does.

Kara Dune (spelling not confirmed): Gina Carano's Kara Dune is a former Rebel Shock Trooper who, according to her statements at Star Wars Celebration, is having some trouble acclimating to civilian life now that the Galactic Civil War is over. Her connection to the Mandalorian is unknown, although her character pictures looks like she's someone who could either be a great asset on the field of battle, or great adversary.

What Characters Are Involved In The Mandalorian?

IG-88: Star Wars fans may recognize this Droid, who was only seen briefly as one of the bounty hunters enlisted by Darth Vader to track down the Millennium Falcon. Fett ended up getting the better of the Droid, and his remains were seen in a scrap heap at Cloud City. Does Jon Favreau's picture, which he posted to Instagram, tease he's been rebuilt, and is back out doing what he does best?

R5-D4: R5-D4's involvement was teased by Jon Favreau, although the picture doesn't guarantee he's actually a part of the show. The character was first seen in A New Hope, and was the Droid who malfunctioned and led to Luke and Owen taking R2-D2 instead. The character was last seen on Tatooine, which obviously leaves open the possibility that The Mandalorian takes place (at least in part) on that planet or that someone from Tatooine transported him there. Who could it have been?

Stormtroopers: Stormtroopers will be a part of the action in The Mandalorian, and while we're not exactly sure how, we do know there will be quite a few of them. Jon Favreau enlisted members of the 501st Legion to appear in their outfits, and photos showed quite a few folks were on set. That's certainly interesting considering how far removed this series is from Return of the Jedi, unless of course they're being used for flashbacks.

Who's Behind The Scenes At The Mandalorian?

The Mandalorian has acclaimed director and actor Jon Favreau behind the wheel, and he's done a good job at bringing some other incredibly talented people into the mix. On the directing side he has the likes of Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow, and Dave Filoni. That's right, the guy behind some of Star Wars' best animated outings is getting in on the live-action fun.

If there were an all-star team of directing talent, this group would make the lineup. Then there's Favreau doing the writing, and sharing executive producing duties with Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. If the reported budget of the show wasn't enough evidence, this lineup of individuals is proof enough that Disney wants to give this project all the tools it needs to be as good as it can be.

What's The Mandalorian's Timeline?

The Mandalorian takes place around five years after the events of the Galactic Civil War long before the First Order. For those who need that in movie terms, this is after Return of the Jedi, and some time before Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This means the series will explore more of what happened a short time after the Rebellion run, and possibly chronicle the chaos that led to support of the First Order.

That seems to line up with photos seen from The Mandalorian thus far, which tease older droids that first came into being during the original trilogy. Granted, droids like C-3PO and R2-D2 have lived through multiple eras, so that by no means guarantees anything. Additionally, The First Order's rise to power took around three decades to become fully realized, so that's quite a bit of territory for this show to play with.

What Will The Special Effects Be Like?

Fans of the original trilogy get pumped, as Jon Favreau is going to some great lengths to maintain a look similar to that of the classic movies. Specifically, that means practical effects, and even bringing back the miniature ships and sets to shoot flight scenes. That's no easy task given the advancement of special tech today, but looks amazing based on the bit of footage shown at Star Wars Celebration.

Early Theories About The Mandalorian

Right now the biggest theory surrounding The Mandalorian is that Boba Fett is in some way tied to this series. This is rooted in the fact that a solo film for the bounty hunter was nixed to develop this show, the fact the characters' armor look similar, and the premise of the show. Oh yeah, his rival and a droid from the last planet he was on are also involved, so it's possible he may show up.

Another theory has some thinking The Mandalorian is Cobb Vanth from the Star Wars: Aftermath novel. The character was a former slave of Jabba The Hutt who made a name for himself as a gunfighter after the destruction of Jabba's palace. He's also said to have a set of Mandalorian armor, and some believe the set belonged to Boba Fett. His initial life on Tatooine would explain R5-D4, and him owning Fett's armor could convince IG-88 that his rival is alive.

Other vague theories have speculated that various characters from the Star Wars universe will make an appearance, either from films or the animated shows. That seems like a safe enough bet, as the Star Wars universe has always been big on interconnected events and giving smaller characters a chance to shine in other projects. Star Wars Rebels seems like a show that could have some characters crossover, but it remains to be seen whether or not it will actually happen.

CinemaBlend will update this guide about The Mandalorian as more details surface, so be sure to visit often to see the latest info. For a look at what's happening on television in the coming weeks, head on over to our midseason premiere guide.

The cast of Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian has been revealed, and exciting things are afoot as Star Wars has unveiled the star actors and actresses of its Disney+ series. Who are these new stars? What have they done? We have all that and more below.

Pedro Pascal- The Mandalorian

The news on Pedro Pascal joining The Mandalorian in the title role first surfaced in early November, and it has now officially been confirmed by Star Wars.com. Unfortunately, all that's presently known about Pascals role is that The Mandalorian is a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. Basically, a lot about his character is being kept under wraps, unless that potentially stolen footage manages to hit the web.

A little information would be better sooner or later, as a lot of mystery remains regarding Pascal's role. It's possibly one of those things where his name may be a big reveal in the series, which is why it's being kept so under wraps. Either that, or it's not of much importance, much like Rey's alleged parentage.

Gina Carano- ???

Gina Carano's presence in The Mandalorian also managed to get out ahead of an official announcement, although unlike Pedro Pascal, there's been no description regarding her character. One thing Carano has made a career of doing is taking on physically demanding roles such as her presence in Haywire and Deadpool. This may mean the series is hoping to use Carano in an action-heavy role and possibly put her years of MMA experience to work on-camera.

That would be ideal anyway, as it would feel a bit of a waste to put an actress who's used to rough and tumble action in a role that doesn't require a lot of it. In a series where the star of the show is a "lone gunfighter," one can expect there's going to be some action, so here's hoping Carano is a part of that in whatever role she may play.

Giancarlo Esposito-???

News of Giancarlo Esposito in The Mandalorian is brand new and ultra exciting for fans of his work in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The character he plays in those two shows, Gus Fring, have brought Esposito the status of one of television's most intimidating villains, which could make speculation on the actor's role in The Mandalorian skew villainous. Who can deny Esposito wouldn't be phenomenal as a new villain to this franchise?

Perhaps Esposito is a former Imperial Officer hiding out, or a crime lord who's been profiteering off war and chaos. Assuming he's playing a villain, it's hard to expect Esposito won't knock this role out of the park. Not to discredit a heroic role he could play, as Esposito would also make for a solid stoic defender of justice.

Nick Nolte-???

Nick Nolte's casting hit the web before Star Wars made it official, yet the Disney family was able to keep the details of his character's role in-house. Nolte certainly has the look of some hardened or grizzled warfighter, but with The Mandalorian's reported use of heavy CGI and makeup to bring its characters to life, it's almost a case that anybody could be anyone with the right amount of transformation.

Nick Nolte is one of The Mandalorian's castings that could be hard to pin down. The actor's long body of work mixed with the variety of roles the Star Wars universe can provide obviously make it hard to make any solid predictions on what he may do. That said, his presence in the Disney+ adventure is exciting nonetheless, and audiences are undoubtedly eager for details.

Carl Weathers-???

Carl Weathers is a bit more of a wildcard when it comes to roles for The Mandalorian. He's worn a lot of hats throughout the course of his career, both in live-action and voice acting. This means Weathers could appear in live-action or as some alien species, Watto-looking character.

Either way, having him a part of this project is some very exciting news. Weathers obviously can't reprise his role as Apollo without causing much confusion in the Creed films, so it's nice to see the high profile actor find another role to strut his stuff in.

Emily Swallow-???

What's true for Carl Weathers is also true for Emily Swallow, who has had a healthy mixture of live action and voice acting roles. Again, this seems like a sign that her presence in the series may be as a character portrayed heavily in CGI. Swallow has done grounded roles on The Mentalist, as well as more roles in the paranormal genre like Supernatural.

Which side this role will fall on is not known at this time, but it's safe to say she'd fit into just about any archetype in the Star Wars universe. Good, evil, alien, or droid, the sky's the limit for roles that Swallow could fit into without it feeling forced.

Omid Abtahi-???

Omid Abtahi latest project has been on the seemingly troubled set of American Gods, but now he will go into The Mandalorian in an unknown role. Unlike many of the actors in this list, Abtahi actually has a prior connection to the Star Wars universe as the voice of a Mandalorian cadet in Star Wars: The Clone Wars named Amis. It's unknown if Abtahi will be reprising that role in the live action, especially given the time gap.

Amis was known to be exceptionally bright, so if Omid Abtahi is reprising the character expect him to be sharp as a whip. His character wasn't especially important in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which almost makes it perfect as he has a lot of territory to grow in The Mandalorian.

Werner Herzog-???

Of all the castings to be released on The Mandalorian thus far, Werner Herzog is potentially the most unexpected, exciting, and a little confusing. Herzog hasn't done a long-running television performance since Adult Swim's Metalocalypse, which was back in 2012. Beyond that, Herzog has not had a role in television where he's had a recurring performance as a character.

Let's hope his appearance in The Mandalorian is frequent and one that spans throughout the length of the series, as he remains one of cinema's most fascinating performers. Plus, with Herzog attached as an actor, there's always a chance he could shoot some kind of awesome behind-the-scenes documentary on Star Wars first live-action series. Who wouldn't want that?

The Mandalorian is currently in development and will be arriving on Disney+. For a look at what other new things are coming to television in the near future and the first half of 2019, be sure to visit our fall and midseason premiere guides.

It seems like 20th Century Fox’s Gambit movie can’t catch a break. First there was initial trouble trying to find a director to make it. Then there was some drama with Channing Tatum, and stories suggesting that he would possibly leave the project. And then just a few weeks after that whole deal was settled, we got news that director Rupert Wyatt has decided to drop the film and move on to other endeavors. This means the studio is now rushing to find a filmmaker to take his place… so we’ve decided to help out with a few suggestions of our own.

There are many things to consider when thinking about a possible director to make Gambit. It’s a filmmaker who should know how to shoot interesting and kinetic action, but you also want somebody who could find the proper tone to get the right amount of drama. And some experience shooting in New Orleans, and being familiar with the region doesn’t hurt either. We considered all of this in pitching possible replacements for Rupert Wyatt at the head of the film.

Joining me for this fun bit of speculation is my good friend Silas Lesnick from ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype/Most Craved, who has some very pitches for directors that you probably didn’t even come close to considering. Enjoy the show!

While it’s impossible to find an iota of humor in the school shootings that occasionally occur here in the U.S., novels and films have a way of adding levity and darkly comedic sensibilities to any form of subject matter one can think of. Case in point: DBC Pierre’s 2003 debut novel Vernon God Little is a satirical Man Booker Prize-winning look at the aftermath of a high school massacre, and was previously announced as the next film from the often-challenging filmmaker Werner Herzog. Three of the film’s leads are nearly locked in place, as comedian Russell Brand, Pretty Little Liars actress Sasha Pieterse and Austin Abrams of MTV’s The Inbetweeners are all in talks to join the cast. I can’t wait to hear the outspoken Brand’s promotional campaign for this one.

Set in Martirio, Texas, Vernon God Little centers on the titular character and best friend Jesus Navarro, who turns from bullied outcast into juvenile murderer as he kills six of his classmates before taking his own life in a school shooting. Because he is Jesus’ only friend, Little is soon suspected to have played a part in the heinous crime, and a string of unfortunate occurrences do nothing to help his case. The story then pokes and prods at the U.S. legal system and our population’s obsession with violence and the mildly ironic championing of the most notorious criminals. There are also a few more pitch black plot points that may or may not end up making it to the final feature, the script for which is being written by Perfume: The Story of a Murderer scribe Andrew Birkin.

According to The Wrap, Abrams will star as the tragedy-struck teenager Little, while Pieterse will play the self-obsessed girl of Little’s dreams. Brand will take on the role of Lally, a reporter whose smile is always worth more than his word, and one who will do anything to put himself in front of the story.

While his recent film career has been limited to starring in Diablo Cody’s directorial debut Paradise, the incredibly pointed comic made a handful of headlines at the end of last year for blasting MSNBC on the air and for the most memorable acceptance speech of all time at the GQ Awards show, which he was kicked out of shortly after his Oracle Award thank yous. Check it out below.

Pieterse, who has been one of the Pretty Little Liars leads since it premiered in 2010, starred in the recently released comedy G.B.F. for Darren Stein and has a notable role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming stoner detective drama Inherent Vice. Abrams, who had bit roles in last year’s Gangster Squad and Kings of Summer, will be starring in another teen tragedy drama, Michael Cohn’s Sacrifice, as well as Kyle Wilamowski’s prank-gone-wrong drama Grass Stains.

While no specific dates for Vernon God Little are given, Herzog is expected to go into pre-production mode for it once he has wrapped shooting for his upcoming Gertrude Bell biopic Queen of the Desert.

Frequently leaping from narrative to documentary films and back again, German writer-director Werner Herzog is a diverse and prolific filmmaker with more than 60 projects to his credit. However, his best known works—from the troubling doc Grizzly Man, to the Vietnam War drama Rescue Dawn, to the extravagant biopic Fitzcarraldo—all share a dark streak along with a male protagonist who possesses an incredible will, for better or worse. All this makes Herzog's newly minted commitment to helm an adaptation of Pierre's novel Vernon God Little, seem a perfect fit.

The novel centers on the titular Texan teenager, who is the chief suspect in a horrendous high school shooting that's left 17 dead, including Vernon's best friend, Jesus Navarro. While Jesus was the killer, his final act was suicide, leaving an enraged and mourning town to focus all their pain and blood lust on Vernon. Fearing he'll be roped in as an accomplice to this heinous act, Vernon hightails it to Mexico, where he hopes to find salvation on the beach in a cabin he once saw in a movie. But as he dashes across the border, the police and voracious TV news crews are on his tail.

Despite its bleak subject matter, the novel Vernon God Little is described as satire that pokes fun at the America's violence and materialism-obsessed culture while skewering the media. Variety reports Andrew Birkin, who adapted the Patrick Süskind's wildly yet wondrously depraved novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer into a feature, has written the screenplay that Herzog will helm. While Herzog films are generally intriguing, he's not typically known for comedy. So, it should be especially interesting to see how Vernon God Little--with all its taboo and dark humor—will turn out.

If you want to see some of Herzog's work even sooner, we're all in for a big surprise this December, with Herzog playing the main villain in Jack Reacher, the Tom Cruise action film set for release December 21.

Press conference interviews are famous for their zany questions only tangentially related to the topic at hand, the kind of "If you had a time machine, where would you go?" and "Do you feel you relate to nature like your character?" questions that result in hilariously out-of-context quotes from the actors. But a few weeks ago at the Adjustment Bureau press conference, one of those questions actually resulted in an interesting answer from star Matt Damon. Asked about moments in his life when fate-- a major theme of the movie-- seemed to intervene, he told the story of how he met with James Cameron about starring in Avatar, but decided to make Green Zone with Paul Greengrass instead.

It's not news that Damon was originally considered to star in the film, but interesting to hear about his decision process, and how much he was genuinely interested in playing the role that wound up going to Sam Worthington. He also talked about meetings he had with Werner Herzog about starring in Rescue Dawn, a role that eventually went to Christian Bale, and how his decision to work with the Farrelly Brothers instead landed him with four kids and a wife.

I'll have more from the press conference interview with Damon and Emily Blunt later today; you can see them both in The Adjustment Bureau, opening this Friday.

Are there moments in your life when you really felt fate intervening?

Matt Damon: Clearly for me, passing up the chance to be in Avatar in order to do Green Zone was one of those moments. Because Avatar didn't do very well… the DVD of Green Zone is just gonna go huge. [Laughs] No, I do end up thinking about all those jobs I was desperate to get that I didn't get that really turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I'd say one of the biggest ones, there was the Werner Herzog movie called Rescue Dawn that Christian Bale did, and Werner and I were talking about that-- this was eight years ago, about me possibly playing that role. I was really strongly considering it, and instead I met with the Farrelly Brothers. I remember talking to my mother, and my mother said "You don't always have to go into the jungle and lose a bunch of weight, you're allowed to have fun." And I did the Farrelly Brothers movie [Stuck On You] and that was where I met my wife. Four kids later, that was a pretty fateful decision.

What's the motivating factor for you when choosing a project? Like choosing Avatar over Green Zone?

Matt: it wasn't anything against Avatar. I talked to Cameron, I read the script, and I really wanted to do Avatar to work with Jim Cameron, to watch him direct, because I was going to learn a lot. We were finishing The Bourne Ultimatum, and it was a scheduling issue. I joke that I passed on Avatar, but really my schedule made it an impossibility for me. In terms of Green Zone, Paul, one of my best friends in the business and a director I love, wanted to make a movie about Iraq and the original lie that got us in there. And so I really wanted to go do that. My decisions usually are based on the character.

If there was one catalogue blurb that grabbed attention at this year's Festival it was a collaboration between America and Europe's two most unique film-makers. The prospect of a film produced by David Lynch and written and directed by Werner Herzog should be enough to spark some kind of interest in any film fan, be it for or against the idea. As an end result, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done is, perhaps predictably, a bizarre, sometimes intriguing and often impenetrable exercise, possibly designed to counter suggestions that, after Rescue Dawn and Bad Lieutenant Herzog had “gone mainstream”. On this evidence he hasn't, but you have to wonder if maybe he should.

On paper it all sounds so simple: a couple of detectives are called to a murder scene where the killer, Brad McCullum, has holed himself up in a neighbouring house, claiming to have hostages. One of the detectives interviews friends and family of the man to try and understand why he has seemingly snapped. In flashback we are gradually shown, what appears to be, his gradual mental breakdown. It's also based on a true story. But in the hands of Herzog, we are given a surreal, odd and downright testing interpretation of events.

The opening scenes show promise, with the ever watchable and criminally underused Willem Dafoe as the detective trying to piece together what happened. It’s when we start to move in to flashback that things take a turn for the weird and we end up batting around in Herzog's cheese-dream oddness instead. Michael Shannon brings a wild-eyed intensity to McCullum matched by Lynch regular Grace Zabriskie as his smothering mother. The rest of the cast make less of an impression but ably support the main players, even as you find it hard to believe them happily accepting McCullum's increasingly erratic and violent behaviour.

Herzog has clearly aimed to try and make his own “David Lynch” movie here. All the prerequisites are present; oddball characters, mannered acting, unconventional shots and omnipresent minimalist scoring. The result is just as confusing and off-the-wall as any typical Lynch movie you may have seen, only without the American's dark & disturbing streak that he brings to his own more surreal works. The problem, ironically, is also the same as many of Lynch's own projects. It's clear the director knows what he wants and understands why he's doing, but these men's brains seem to work at such unique wavelengths, it becomes hard for the average viewer to engage with such deliberately obtuse material.

This is the kind of movie many hyperbole-rich self-styled “cineastes” will no doubt hail as some sort of triumph. But you have to wonder whether they truly mean it and understand the material in front of them or are just trying to maintain their “art-house” credibility.

For more coverage from the Edinburgh International Film Festival click here.

"Shoot him again. His soul is still dancing!" Yeah, it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "What, you don't have a lucky crack pipe?", but it's the best line by far in the actual official trailer for Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans, Werner Herzog's remake of Abel Ferrara's movie, starring Nicolas Cage as a New Orleans cop who has no use for things like drug and firearms laws.

The trailer makes the movie sound a lot more level-headed than that unofficial trailer did, even though it still has room for lines like the one above and "I've got on Swiss cotton underpants!" Check it out below or in HD on Yahoo, and rest assured that there's a lot more crazy shit in there than can be included in this approved-for-all-audiences trailer.

So nobody, particularly Abel Ferrara, really wanted to see Werner Herzog remake Bad Lieutenant, Ferrara's 1991 movie featuring Harvey Keitel as an officer of the law who's exactly what he sounds like. But after taking a gander at a trailer for the movie that has hit the internet in what seems to be a very unofficial way, I might have to change my mind. This shit looks kinda awesome.

At the very least, it might be a shot for Nicolas Cage to redeem himself after such a long string of flops, and for Eva Mendes to seduce him in movie that isn't Ghost Rider. I have no idea how official this trailer is or how long it will be online, so check it out below while you still can. It's like House on heavier drugs and with guns. It might be the best thing you see all day.