Harrison Ford has confirmed that he is in talks to reprise his role as Hans Solo for JJ Abram’s new Star Wars films, alongside Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.
The 70-year-old actor told Chicago’s WGN-TV, “I think it’s almost true, I’m looking forward to it. It’s not in the bag yet, but I think it’s happening.”
Ford’s return comes as a surprise to many Star Wars fans considering his love-hate relationship with Solo. During filming for The Empire Strikes Back Ford famously told Lucas, “you can type this s***, but can’t say it.”
Ford has also repeatedly denounced the fanboys that have bothered him in the streets over the film.
Earlier this month, Lucas told BusinessWeek, “We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison, or we were pretty much in the final stages of negotiation. So I called them to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on.”
The director then added, “Maybe I’m not supposed to say that. I think they want to announce that with some big whoop-de-do, but we’re negotiating with them.”
Michael Arndt has confirmed that he has finished the script for the seventh instalment to the series, which is set to hit cinemas in the summer of 2015.
Rumours over the film’s production have been circulating ever since Disney announced last October that they had purchased Lucasfilm from Lucas for $4.05 billion in cash and stock.
This was then immediately followed by the news that Episode VII was in production. JJ Abrams was then announced as the new director of the series, taking over the franchise from Lucas.
Ford is also hard at work on several other films, which include 42, Ender’s Game, Paranoia , and the sequel to Will Ferrell’s 2004 comedy, Anchorman, entitled Ancorman: The Legend Continues.
Would Star Wars Episode VII be as good without the involvement of Fisher, Hamill, and Ford?