“Star Wars The Force Awakens” debuts in theaters in a few weeks, but Disney is already hard at work casting a young Hal Solo for their 2018 Solo prequel spinoff film.
When Disney first announced they would be releasing one “Star Wars” film per year until 2020, fans wondered exactly what that would entail. Earlier this year the studio shared their plans, which included “Episode VII”, “Episode VIII”, “Episode IX”, and three spinoff prequels that focused on the stolen death star plans in “Rogue One”, Han Solo, and Boba Fett.
While the Han Solo prequel spinoff doesn't have a title yet, it does have a production team, which includes screenwriters Lawrence and Jon Kasdan and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The Hollywood Reporter announced today that, according to their sources, Lord and Miller's casting director, Jeanne McCarthy (“American Crime Story”, “The Mindy Project”, “21 Jump Street”), has seen over 2,500 actors to play the young Han Solo.
While JJ Abrams' strategy for “Star Wars The Force Awakens” was to find relatively unknown actors for the film, Lord and Miller are open to casting anyone who fits the part of the flirtatious and dangerous smuggler Solo. So far actors from numerous films and TV shows have read for the part, including Colton Haynes (“Arrow”), Aaron-Taylor Johnson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Miles Teller (“Whiplash”), Dave Franco (“21 Jump Street”), Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”), and Nick Robinson (“Jurassic World”).
With so many actors applying for the role, who do you want to see play a young Han Solo? Not only do they have to closely resemble the original Han Solo actor, Harrison Ford, but they also have to embody a cowboy swagger, humor, and slick piloting skills. Solo did make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. Sound off your Han Solo casting suggestions in the comments below!
The “Star Wars” Han Solo spinoff film is due May 25, 2018.