The galaxy far, far away is going to get significantly bigger over the next few years. Along with the "Star Wars" saga entries, next year will see the first "Star Wars Anthology" film with the release of Gareth Edwards' "Star Wars: Rogue One." These "Anthology" movies will be standalone "Star Wars" pictures that don't deal directly with the Skywalkers. Following "Rogue One" will be a Han Solo origin story of sorts with Phil Lord and Chris Miller set to direct. With 12 months to go before filming, producers have begun the exhaustive search for a young Han Solo, reportedly looking over 2,500 actors so far.
J.J. Abrams purposely sought out relative unknowns for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" but that doesn't appear to be a prerequisite for everyone's favorite intergalactic smuggler. Names such as Tom Felton, Miles Teller and "Jurassic World's" Nick Robinson have been mentioned. Lesser-known actors such as Leo Howard are also reportedly being looked at.
Age doesn't appear to be a huge factor either. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both 16-year-old "Walking Dead" star Chandler Riggs and 34-year-old "Mr. Robot" star Rami Malek are on the list. However, Harrison Ford was 35 in 1977 when he appeared in "Star Wars: A New Hope," so Malek is right at the cut-off.
Lucasfilm reportedly wants to cut down the list to a more realistic number before turning it over to Lord and Miller for final cuts. The movie is scheduled for a summer 2018 release with filming likely to begin in January of 2017.
This is obviously a highly coveted role for any male actor as joining the "Star Wars" franchise is an instant star-maker. It won't matter if the actor is a known commodity or a complete newcomer, Lucasfilm has high expectations for this young Han Solo flick. We'll keep you updated as more details emerge.
In the meantime, who would you like to see play a young Han Solo? Let us know in the comments below.
