Han Solo Spin-Off News: Official Plot Revealed!

Tuesday morning saw the release of the much anticipated cast photo for Disney’s upcoming Han Solo Star Wars spin-off, as reported by the Inquisitr. While IMDb already had a few cast members listed, Disney finally gave fans a look at the full cast of main characters. The photo had a timely release considering that filming has now officially begun.

The cast includes Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Me Before You), Thandie Newton (the Westworld actress not pictured in the photo), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.

Donald Glover is one of the few actors whose character has been revealed. The increasingly successful actor is set to plan a young Lando Calrissian. This is not the only Disney film that Glover has in works, as he has recently been cast as a major character in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, according to the Inquisitr.

Production Begins on the Untitled Han Solo @StarWars Story: https://t.co/s9sk4oqZHm pic.twitter.com/jhb6pBI3jK

— Disney (@Disney) February 21, 2017

The big news, though, was the first look at our young Han Solo, played by Hail, Caesar! star Alden Ehrenreich, who looks to fit the part well. E! News said that thousands auditioned for the role of Han Solo, but Ehrenreich got it, and the studio announced his casting last July. However, the casting process was very extensive and by no means easy, according to Ehrenreich.

“I had an audition process that went on for a long time, and I got to spend a lot of time with the guys who are directing the film. Getting to be around them and being around the world a little bit has been the main experience so far. I did my audition on the Millennium Falcon for one of my screen tests, which was pretty cool.”

But, like all teasers and hints, the release of the cast photo has led to fans wanting more information on the plot.

E! News reported that, thankfully, a rough sketch of the plot has been revealed — and it looks promising. Woody Harrelson is set to play Han’s mentor, of sorts, which is a familiar role for the Hunger Games veteran. This new Star Wars story will be a look at Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures prior to the events in Star Wars: A New Hope. While plot details are indeed vague, they look hopeful and entertaining, especially since fans will get to see Lando Calrissian once again.

Although the film has been in the works for a while — rumors concerning it have been floating around almost since Disney bought Lucasfilm — the studio seems to be very excited about Han Solo’s Star Wars story. Considering the great success of Rogue One, plus the inclusion of some of fan-favorite characters, this film shows promise.

https://twitter.com/MakingOfs/status/833419648972496901

This film definitely has some big names, including Emilia Clarke, who seems to be getting more and more popular by the month. The Game of Thrones actress is still often linked to the hit HBO series, but since starting on the show, she has broken out in various genres. She starred in the popular romantic film Me Before You in 2016 and had a main role in Terminator Genisys in 2015.

Emilia is one of three women (so far) joining the cast of the Han Solo spin-off, which begs the question: Will any of them be a pre-Leia love interest of Han?

The film is directed by LEGO Movie collaborators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who are in the front of the photo on either side of Alden Ehrenreich). StarWars.com reported that the two are excited and “moved” by the opportunity to direct the film.

“Watching such inspired people from all over the world, with such unique voices, come together for the sole purpose of making art, is nothing short of miraculous. We can’t think of anything funny to say, because we just feel really moved, and really lucky.”

The Han Solo spin-off is set to premiere May 25, 2018, with Disney once again filling a space between trilogy films Episode VIII and Episode IX (that is, assuming that the latter will be released in 2019).

Upside to a May release over a December release? First of all, less time between The Last Jedi and the Han Solo Star Wars story. Secondly, Disney’s attempt to give Rogue One some time to breath has led to the delayed release of Episode VIII’s trailer. Hopefully, a May release will mean an earlier look at the next saga film after it.

most likely for ILM's innovative work on #RogueOne (2/2) pic.twitter.com/T4mqLye7gI

— Movie Comlink (@Movie_Comlink) February 12, 2017

[Featured Image by Lucasfilm]