Hey, doubters: Let’s give the Han Solo movie a chance

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Well, of course the Han Solo movie is rumored to be about Han winning the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. Of course. It’s only the most iconic Han and Lando story, the bare outline direct from The Empire Strikes Back.

That said, the rumor does come from a tweet by The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit, who claims to have heard it from “a couple of sources” – though not, apparently, enough for an actual story. Still, it would be bigger news if the film didn’t involve the Falcon.

Now, we’re all a little (a lot, truth be told) sick of people complaining about how this film is going to be “predictable” or “boring.” About how people would rather have an Obi-wan movie, or whatever. (No, you’re not the first person to say it. You’re not even the thousandth.) And this rumor isn’t going to help matters, I’m sure. But the film is in pre-production. It has two key roles cast – Han and Lando – with a third that probably isn’t far behind. (Not to mention Chewbacca is probably locked in, as we know Ehrenrich tested with either Peter Mayhew or Joonas Suotamo.)

han-lord-miller-falconMost importantly, It also has a pair of directors who are best known for taking “horrible” ideas and actually making great films out of them. If you somehow managed to miss Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s The LEGO Movie or 21 Jump Street remake, please give them a try. And remember Lawrence Kasdan? He co-wrote the thing. These are not a bunch of random dudes off the street making a fan film. They, and everyone else at Lucasfilm, have a clear concept of the character and the film – check out those Celebration Europe clips again.

What do we, the audience, have? Hints and rumors and speculation – not the most solid ground for judgement.

I’m not going to discount the possibility that the movie could still turn out so-so. Hell, I’m still a little wary about the whole spinoff concept myself.

Fact is, this movie is happening. You don’t have to like it, but that’s not going to change at this point. But it’s far, far too soon to write it off. Give Han Solo a chance, just like you’re going to give Rogue One a chance. Hopefully, they both manage to surprise us.

Report: Tessa Thompson, Zoe Kravitz among actresses testing for Han Solo standalone

Variety reports today that three actresses have tested for the young Han Solo spinoff. Tessa Thompson (Creed), Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Naomi Scott (the upcoming Power Rangers) have all tested in London for the film’s female lead, they say.

Both Thompson and Kravitz are familiar faces who’ve have been around for a bit. I remember Thompson from her turn on Veronica Mars, but she’s recently got a lot of buzz with roles in Creed, Selma, and the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. Kravitz has a heavy genre resume in addition to Mad Max, with roles in X-Men: First Class, the Divergent films and the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy.

Naomi ScottScott isn’t quite as well known, but she was in Fox’s 2011 time-travel dinosaur drama Terra Nova and The Martian before landing the role of the Pink Ranger in 2017’s Power Rangers.

Variety also addresses the rumor about Donald Glover and the Lando Calrissian role, but there’s apparently a “second round of tests” in the offing. Until now, Glover is the only name that’s been publicly linked to the role, though The Hollywood Reporter now says that O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Netflix’s The Get Down) are also finalists.

Whoever wins the role(s) will be playing against Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the untitled film is currently scheduled for a May 2018 release.

Rumor: Next Rogue One trailer coming in October?

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There’s a report out that the next Rogue One trailer will be attached to Doctor Strange, which is out November 4. Of course, it comes from Star Wars News Net, who claims it’s from a Disney rep in Russia, neither a source I am willing to trust 100%. Still, mid-to-late October isn’t a horrible assumption for the online debut and October is Making Star Wars’ guess as well.

I’ve shied away from direct comparisons between the Rogue One and The Force Awakens marketing methods, but the final trailer is a likely place for them to converge. Last year, the final trailer for The Force Awakens debuted on October 19 – which was just as tickets were going on sale. So the real question is: Will it be Monday Night Football again?

In other recent(ish) Rogue One news, Valene Kane – who’s playing Lyra Erso – talked a bit about filming “in Iceland.”

This week in Episode VIII: Mark Hamill drops some tiny beans

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Mark Hamill appeared this weekend at Salt Lake Comic Con, and while he was (naturally) tight-lipped about Episode VIII, he did drop a few things: Namely, that he’s a part of “an intense action FX sequence” that was being shot at night.

You can watch a video (via) of his appearance below, or head over to Big Shiny Robot for a recap.


→ In the realm of rumors, Making Star Wars has some possible details on some things that relate to Rey’s vision in The Force Awakens.

→ Every other ‘new’ rumor you’ve heard lately originates from Reddit. And what do we say to Reddit rumors? Not today.

This week in Rogue One: Yet more toys, Riz Ahmed makes the rounds

I'm no collector, but this is honestly pretty neat.
I’m no collector, but this is honestly pretty neat.
The Rogue One product parade continues with the official list from StarWars.com (nothing in the book lineup we didn’t already know about) and io9’s toy roundup. The official site also has an interview with the creators of the Go Rogue video series that debuted Wednesday.

→ Riz Ahmed appeared on Stephen Colbert, and of course he wasn’t allowed to get away without some Star Wars talk. He also appeared during Good Morning America‘s toy reveal, where he got to see his first Bodhi Rook action figure.

Dave Filoni talks Saw Gerrera to /Film, and the character’s journey from The Clone Wars to an actual film.

→ Technically a rumor: The Emperor will not be in Rogue One. Okay then. (Were we really expecting him? Really?)

Director Gareth Edwards on the Rogue One title. I’ve been sitting on this one a while, because it basically looks like Edwards trying to dodge the real answer.

→ And finally, Jalopnik’s Jason Torchinsky on droid names (as inspired by Wednesday’s C2-B5 reveal) and how they make no sense. Long story short: It ain’t that kind of franchise, nerds.

Donald Glover plays coy (of course) on Lando Calrissian rumors

Donald Glover in The Martian

“Yep. There are rumors,” Donald Glover says of the reports that he’s a front-runner for the role of Lando Calrissian in the young Han Solo movie. But hey, he does love the franchise:

I mean, I grew up on it. My dad was a big fan. I had all the toys when I was little. I had a Darth Vader with the lightsaber he has. It was cool. It’s a dynasty. It’s like the bible. I love that franchise.

Regardless of whether he’s up for the role or not, Glover has a new show, Atlanta, debuting in September.

The Han movie, starring Alden Ehrenreich and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is due out in 2018.

Rumor: Alden Ehrenreich signed for 3 films

alden-ehrenreich-swce16The New York Daily News today reports that future Han Solo Alden Ehrenreich is signed for “at least” three films. With the Han movie supposed to be a standalone, this raises a few questions. But we should also note that multi-picture deals are fairly common among large franchises like Star Wars.

I doubt, for instance, that there are any solid plans for an actual Han-focused trilogy. But what if the third (or fourth, or fifth…) standalone turns out to be about, say, a young Lando Calrissian? It makes sense to sign your young Han actor now – just in case.