With J.J. Abrams‘ The Force Awakens deep into post-production, shooting underway for Gareth Edwards‘ Rogue One (a spin-off said to include Darth Vader), and Rian Johnson‘s Star Wars: Episode VIII (which Donnie Yen looks to be joining) set to kick off production early next year, the sci-fi franchise is alive and well. So, what’s next? With more episodes and anthology films being planned, we now have the first hint of another one in the works.
According to THR, a young Han Solo spin-off film will be coming to screen thanks to none other than Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the talented directing, writing, and producing duo behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street. With their hands in other various tentpoles like an animated Spider-Man film, a Flash project, and the continuing LEGO and Jump Street franchises, this will be the next project they’ll next direct, unlike the others.
We do know it’s not the project Josh Trank left as that was said to be a Boba Fett origin story, however additional story or casting details aren’t yet confirmed. With quite a directorial line-up for their Star Wars films thus far, this continues the trend for Lucasfilm and Disney as Miller and Lord have continued to prove they can defy expectations.
Update: StarWars.com officially confirms the project, scripted by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan. Set for a release on May 25th, 2018, the story “focuses on 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.” Check out Miller and Lord’s statement below.
“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with. 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. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but 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.”
What do you think of Miller and Lord taking on a spin-off? Who should play a young Solo?