A Han Solo spinoff movie following the Star Wars character’s pre-smuggler days is in the making, Disney announced on Tuesday. The film, to be released in 2018, still doesn't have a star or even a title.
The spinoff will follow Solo’s past before he met Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi long, long ago in the first movie's Mos Eisley Cantina.
Chris Miller and Phil Lord, “Lego Movie” directors, are in charge of the spinoff set to be released on Memorial Day Weekend in 2018. Miller and Lord are credited for their writing and directing success in “21 Jump Street” and “22 Jump Street.”
"This is the first film we've worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with," said the directors who made an award-winning movie about talking Legos,
USA Today reported. “We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us,”
“This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you're late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you've loved since before you can remember having dreams at all."
Lawrence Kasden, co-writer for “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” will write the spinoff with his son Jon Kasden. The father-son duo told
Rolling Stone magazine they are excited to work with Miller and Lord.
“They're two of the smartest, funniest and most original filmmakers around, and the ideal choice to tell the story of Han Solo, one of the coolest characters in the galaxy,” they said.
While Harrison Ford will be assuming his role as Solo in Disney’s coming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Miller and Lord are searching for a new Solo for the spinoff,
reported The Associated Press.
“It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo, and I’m excited to say we've found the perfect team to handle the task. Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story,” Kathleen Kennedy, former Lucasfilm president and producer,
told ABC News.