'Narcos' actor to lead in upcoming 'Star Wars' TV series

Pascal, 43, made his name in 'Game of Thrones' and cemented his stardom as drug cop Javier Pena in the...

LOS ANGELES/KARACHI: Narcos and Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal is to play the lead in upcoming Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian, Disney said Wednesday, as it builds on the beloved and profitable science fiction franchise.

Penned and produced by Marvel mainstay Jon Favreau, the live-action show will follow Pascal's lone gunfighter, making his way in the outer reaches of the galaxy after the fall of the Empire.

"We're having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we're up to," said Favreau, whose next big screen project will be Disney's The Lion King (2019).

PHOTO: NETFLIX

Pascal, 43, made his name as the dashing prince Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, and cemented his stardom as drug cop Javier Pena in the crime-thriller.

The Texas-raised Chilean-American has since broken into the Hollywood mainstream via Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Equalizer 2, and awards season darling If Beale Street Could Talk.

Other actors announced for the series - set to debut on Disney's upcoming small screen streaming service - include Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Nick Nolte (Hulk) and acclaimed German film-maker Werner Herzog.

PHOTO: HBO

Directors of individual episodes will include Thor: Ragnarok helmer Taika Waititi, Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard and Canadian filmmaker Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones).

Star Wars has grown into the most lucrative and influential movie franchise of all time since the original film was released in 1977.

Disney paid creator George Lucas $4 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012, and has already brought out no less than four movies, starting with 2015's The Force Awakens.

PHOTO: NETFLIX

But disappointing box office results for its latest spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story raised questions over whether Star Wars fatigue might be setting in, 40 years into a series that once kept respectable three-year gaps between episodes.

On top of Madalorian, Lucasfilm has announced plans for an Episode IX, two further trilogies by Last Jedi director Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones show runners David Benioff and DB Weiss, a Boba Fett origin story and a possible Obi Wan Kenobi spinoff.

Online reaction to the announcement of Pascal appeared positive, with fans praising Lucasfilm on Twitter for its "excellent choice" of cast.

PHOTO: NETFLIX

"All in on a Pedro Pascal Star Wars TV show," said one enthusiast.

Other than Star Wars, it was confirmed that director Patty Jenkins would be bringing on Pascal for a key role in her Wonder Woman sequel starring Gal Gadot.

Pascal is on board for the follow-up to 2017’s hit, joining Kristen Wiig, who was tapped for the villain role of Cheetah.

The film would mark the second time Pascal and Jenkins have worked together, having previously teamed up on the TV movie Exposed.

The Mandalorian will air on Disney+, set to launch in the US in late 2019.

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