Squeaky Mouse Droid: Going Somewhere, Solo?
(Because this is breaking news, we brought in Chewbacca, as a guest columnist to help us consider the ramifications of what we’ve just learned)
Lucasfilm has gotten ahead of itself here: they’ve decided to drop some major Star Wars news just days ahead of their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con this coming Friday. So much for flying casual. So what’s the big news?
Arguhnunurraaah Arrgggnnn!
That’s what I heard from Chewbacca himself, but in case you don’t have a protocol droid nearby that’s fluent in over six million forms of communication, I’ll translate this for you. They are making a Han Solo, uh, solo film. They even have…
Arguhh Raarrrr!
Yes, Chewie. I’m sure it’s not just going to be Han’s movie. I’m sure you will have some great moments in there as well.
Raaggh!
Okay, let’s break this down for you: A new Han Solo film has been announced by Disney. It will be directed by Christopher Miller and Peter Lord, a couple of highly sought-after filmmakers who had great success with films like 21 Jump Street and it’s sequel, as well as the critically acclaimed (yet awkwardly not Oscar-worthy) The Lego Movie. It will be released on May 25, 2018. That’s what we know, thanks to a press release by Disney which became a big scoop pretty much everywhere on cyberspace.
Arrruuuuuugnnnnn Raagghhh Nrrrrggn!
Yes, Chewie, that’s what we know.
It will be the second anthology film – you know, one of those non-Skywalker-related spinoff films we’ve been hearing so much about – which will be bumping the “untitled” anthology film that Josh Trank was to have been working – at least up until his departure about two months ago. It seems that it could bump the Boba Fett film that’s been on the table as well. The new film could indeed “spin off” into that Boba Fett film, as it’s not hard to imagine that there has been some kind of grudging connection between Solo and Fett that probably goes some years back.
Neerruuugh!
I didn’t quite catch that, Chewie. What I can say is that this move is hardly surprising. As soon as the now-Disney-own Lucasfilm announced that it would be making anthology films to expand the Star Wars universe, everyone thought that a young Han Solo would be a perfect character to explore.
Now, we can sit back and watch the fan-base get into this, as everyone starts debating which young actor could possibly play this role. Since this announcement was, surprisingly, made ahead of Comic Con, is it mere speculation that Lucasfilm could announce the name of the actor during it’s panel. It’s doubtful. They’d obviously only do it if they had that actor already signed on, and only then of the actor was well-known. If they go with an unknown actor, they’d simple reveal his name via press release.
Arghuggnn…
Yes, Chewbacca. Yes, yes. We’ll be waiting some time, I think, for the announcement on who will be playing the iconic smuggler.
Though a Han Solo movie was a sure thing as soon as Disney said go on the development of anthology films, I do hope that Lucasfilm will quickly move on from relying on familiarity and move forward: they can create new characters who could be as iconic as those characters that the world first say in 1977.
But that’s neither here, nor there.
There was also some speculation – even form this very column – that a new trailer would debut during the comic con panel this week. After all, it’s a golden opportunity to excite the fan-base (SDCC is the biggest event of it’s kind) but the word is that Lucasfilm will hold back on a new trailer until the fall. There’s talk that some behind-the-scenes footage for The Force Awakens (which will no doubt provide some insight into the various plot points) or that we might even catch the opening crawl of the new film.
As to what will actually happen: who knows? Not even Chewie, here, knows.
Ruunggghuuhhhhnnn!
No doubt, Lucasfilm will give the fans something to rave about!
