The brains behind The Lego Movie, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, are about to tell a story in a galaxy far, far, away.
According to Variety, the duo have been tapped to direct a stand alone movie that will focus on the young Han Solo. Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) and Jon Kasdan are writing the script. The movie is expected to arrive in theaters on May 25, 2018.
While the story is not known at this point, but there is an upcoming Greg Rucka book titled Smuggler’s Run that takes place between A New Hope and Empire Strikes back, which is scheduled to be released in September 2015. Because of the timeline, this probably won’t serve as the source material, but I still think Scoundrels would make a good feature film.
Though we should all be focusing on the story element of the movie, the Internet blew up yesterday as everyone started speculating who would play the young Han. Latino Review and others, including me, think the chances of Chris Pratt landing the role as slim to young. The actor is already committed to Guardians of the Galaxy, and has been rumored to be the next Indiana Jones, so to try a three-peat ala Harrison Ford seems unlikely. I have seen Channing Tatum’s name pop up more than a few times, and either he or Ryan Gosling would work for me.
Disney/Lucasfilm have been relatively quiet about this since the news broke yesterday afternoon, and knowing that no new The Force Awakens footage will be shown at the San Diego Comic Con on Friday, may fuel the fire that Han Solo and Rogue One movie news will pop up.
What say you, Spoilerites? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and let the Vegas bookies make their quota for the month as we anxiously await casting announcements.
UPDATE: Here is the official press release sent to us by Walt Disney Studios Publicity
The next adventure in the Anthology series of Star Wars films will be directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, whose credits include the critically acclaimed The LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street. Among the most sought-after filmmakers working today, the two have proven a formidable duo in film and television and are looking forward to applying their unique sensibilities to the Star Wars Universe.
“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” said Miller and Lord.
The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan. 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.
Lawrence Kasdan, the writer and director known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Big Chill and Grand Canyon, is familiar to Star Wars fans for having co-written the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens. His son Jon Kasdan wrote and directed The First Time, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and In the Land of Women, as well as writing for the television series Freaks and Geeks and Dawson’s Creek.
