Han Solo is finally having his own standalone as film as Walt Disney Studios made a huge announcement on July 7, Tuesday. The studio is currently working on a ‘Star Wars’ spinoff movie centered on Han Solo, to be released in theaters on May 25, 2018.
The upcoming movie, which is set to be helmed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the duo who directed ‘The Lego Movie’ and ‘21 Jump Street,’ will draw attention to Han Solo's backstory.
As stated by a press release about the movie news, the script will draw attention to "how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley."
Portrayed in the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy by Harrison Ford, Han Solo was introduced in ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ in 1997 and, later on, made an appearance in 1980's ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.’
In addition, Ford also took on the fan-favorite character in 1983's ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.’ He is set to reprise his role in the upcoming ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, directed by J.J. Abrams and will be released in December of this year.
"This is the first film we've worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with," Miller and Lord said about the Han Solo-centered spinoff movie. "We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us."
The duo also praised the sci-fi franchise for coming up with characters that are well-loved by fans whether in the original or the new versions.
"This is a dream come true for us. …The kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you've loved since before you can remember having dreams at all,” the directing duo said.
Ford had been 31 when he first filmed for a ‘Star Wars’ movie, which strongly suggests that Han Solo could be in his teens/20s. As pointed out by E! News, this leaves a great opportunity for an up-and-coming actor to sign on for the character, such as Ansel Elgort (‘The Divergent Series’), Taron Egerton (‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’) or Anthony Ingruber, who previously played a young Ford in ‘The Age of Adaline.’
