Filming Begins For Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off, First Cast Photo Released

The untitled Han Solo Star Wars story movie began filming on Feb. 20, at Pinewood Studios in London. In celebration of the day, the official Star Wars website released a photo of the cast, huddled together in, what appears to be, the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.

“Han Solo. Smuggler. Scoundrel. Hero. A New Star Wars Story Begins,” their tweet reads.

 

 

The movie, set to be released on May 25, 2018, will star Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, and Joonas Suotamo, a Finnish basketball player, as Chewbacca.

Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson (who will play Han Solo’s mentor), Phoebe Waller-Bridge and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also appear in the picture. Thandie Newton, not pictured, has been cast in the film as well.

While the tweet doesn’t give specifics about the content of the film, it has been said to take place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and will focus on the antics of a younger Han Solo. The movie looks to highlight Han Solo’s humor, given that many of its cast members have strong backgrounds in comedy.

After purchasing Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, Disney has released two films in the Star Wars universe – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). The Han Solo movie, while obviously connected to the larger franchise, will not be considered an Episode. Instead, it will fall into the same category as Rogue One, a spin-off story.

With Star Wars: The Last Jedi set to be released on December 15, 2017, Disney is keeping with their Star Wars pattern – releasing Episodes in the odd years and Stories in the even ones.

Despite the revival of the Han Solo character, Harrison Ford, has not been involved and doesn’t seem eager to be. When asked about the film, he diverted responsibility as far away from himself as possible. “Lets make [the people involved] responsible for those questions you might think to ask me because I’m not involved,” Ford said.

While absent from the new Han Solo movie, Ford will reprise his role as Indiana Jones in 2019 under the direction, again, of Steven Spielberg.