Han Solo Movie: Everything You Need To Know
A crime caper with cool cameos and Corellian curmudgeons? Count us in.
One month on from Rogue One's release, it looks like Disney and Lucasfilm have achieved the impossible: they've made a Star Wars prequel which the vast majority unashamedly enjoyed.
Pushing memories of clumsy gungans and sand-based speeches out of fans' minds, franchise overseer Kathleen Kennedy has shepherded in a new age for Star Wars - one where prequel isn't a dirty word.
Next up, Kennedy will attempt a doubly difficult task by producing the Han Solo movie. This one isn't just a prequel, but also revamp of the franchise's most beloved character, with a new actor playing the role.
If this fresh take on the scruffy-lookin' nerf herder can win over audiences, it could be the holy grail for Lucasfilm. Not just in terms of box office bucks, but also in the storytelling possibilities it could pave the way for.
It'll be a while until anyone knows for sure, but there's certainly a whiff of cautious optimism in the air, because all the info doing the rounds has been very promising...
10. The Film's In Safe Hands
Few writers understand Han Solo like Lawrence Kasdan does. Even George Lucas may not.
Kasdan is the man that penned Han’s pigtails-in-the-playground flirtation on Hoth, his attempt to shoot Darth Vader in the face on Cloud City, and that heart-wrenching scene with his and Leia’s Vader-loving son all those years later. Kasdan knows that Han has a heart, a head and trigger finger, and that they don’t always work in sync.
The great news for fans is that Kasdan volunteered himself for the Han Solo movie, possibly by swooping into the Lucasfilm offices and shouting “Wahooo! Let’s blow this thing and go home!” To achieve that goal, he’s teamed up with Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Before assuming the Han Solo movie is a terrible idea, think of some of the pitch meetings those two have been in before. If food falling from the sky can make for a fun movie, the world can probably handle a space smuggler spinoff. And with talented young wards like Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover and Emilia Clark added to the mix, it's starting to look like a very safe set of hands to guide Han back to the big screen.
Let’s just hope they don’t get cocky.