Alden Ehrenreich Set To Play Han Solo In New ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Film

Alden Ehrenreich has landed the role of a young Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars spinoff film, which tells the tale of Solo’s life before joining the Rebel Alliance, according to reports on Friday.

Alden Ehrenreich Will Star As Han Solo In New ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff

Ehrenreich, whose credits include Hail Caesar, Blue Jasmine and also the lead in Warren Beatty’s upcoming, untitled Howard Hughes project with Fox, reportedly won the role over Divergent stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort, Kingsman star Scott Eastwood, Eddie the Eagle star Taron Egerton, and Sing Street star Jack Reynor.

“Alden really impressed Disney and Lucasfilm execs with his screen tests. The deal is basically done,” an insider revealed to Page Six.

The casting of the Han Solo character had been a secret, requiring the film to be known as “Project Red Cup,” in reference to the red plastic Solo cups.

21 Jump Street directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord will direct the project with a script from Star Wars alum Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jon Kasdan.

Kasdan — who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi” and The Force Awakens — said in a recent Q&A that the spinoff would not dig into the origins of Solo: “It will not be, ‘Here’s where he was born and this is how he was raised.’ I think what it will be is, ‘What was he like 10 years earlier?’’’

The project won’t start production until January, but reports are that the early casting is because the new Solo will have a cameo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is now shooting.

The project is slated to hit theaters May 25, 2018.