After a period of radio silence, we learned that Disney and Lucasfilm were making some moves regarding the upcoming ‘Star Wars Anthology’ film featuring Han Solo last month. The project directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller of ‘The Lego Movie’ and written by the father-son tandem of Lawrence and Jon Kasdan had started the casting process and the production looked at approximately 2500 young actors to fill Harrison Ford’s iconic role for a prequel. Now, it looks like that number has been severely whittled down to something a little more manageable.
According to Variety, the studios have narrowed the list of potential actors down to a dozen. Among those to have reportedly made the cut are ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Divergent’ series star Ansel Elgort, ‘Now You See Me’ and ‘Neighbors’ standout Dave Franco, Logan Lerman of the ‘Percy Jackson’ franchise, new ‘Transformers’ series lead Jack Reynor, Scott Eastwood of ‘Gran Torino’ and ‘The Longest Ride’, “Brooklyn” star Emory Cohen, former ‘Glee’ actor Blake Jenner, and Miles Teller of ‘Whiplash’, ‘The Spectacular Now’, and the most unfortunate ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot.
While the film isn’t scheduled to shoot until next January, the directors and producer Kathleen Kennedy are expected to make a decision within the next couple of weeks. This is because a cameo from the young smuggler may be in the cards for an upcoming ‘Star Wars’ film. Sources say that the appearance could be for ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, though it could just as easily happen in Rian Johnson’s ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’, which should be starting production soon. Marvel Studios recently adapted this same strategy when they got the okay to add Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe so that Tom Holland could appear in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ prior to starring in his own solo effort down the line.
Honestly, a lot of these choices are eyebrow raising. Teller, Elgort, Franco, and Lerman in particular stand out as odd choices despite their star power in today’s Hollywood landscape. Although, Jenner is probably the most surprising because he comes across as more clean cut, which is definitely the opposite of a scruffy looking nerf herder. Reynor and Cohen are relatively unknown compared to the others, but based on looks alone, they may be the best choices. Of course, the screen tests are what really matters, so we’ll see who comes out on top once the top brass makes their call.
What do you think about the shortlist for the upcoming untitled Han Solo spinoff? Which of these actors could you see picking up the mantle made famous by Harrison Ford to tell new stories from the early days of the ‘Star Wars’ universe? Share your pick in the comments.
