Now thatStar Wars: The Force Awakensis a massive hit, fans are already looking forward to what’s next in this growingStar Warsfranchise. In December, the first spinoff,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will hit theaters, followed byStar Wars: Episode VIII, which starts production this month and is set for release in May 2017, and the second spinoff,Star Wars Anthology: Han Solo, which is coming in 2018. We know that theHan Solospinoff is set beforeStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, but during aDirector’s Guild of AmericaQ&A last month, screenwriterLawrence Kasdanoffered new details about where this story fits in the timeline.
“[The film] will not be, ‘Here’s where he was born and this is how he was raised.’ I think what it will be is what was he like 10 years earlier [than A New Hope]-maybe a little earlier, you’ll get a glimpse. But (Akira) Kurosawa once said the heroes are the ones that are still changing and the villains are locked and petrified into what they are, andHarrison (Ford)embodies inForce Awakenssomeone who is still not settled on who he is.”
In the 32 years betweenStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the JediandStar Wars: The Force Awakens,Harrison Fordhad often commented about how he wanted his iconic Han Solo character to be killed off in the original trilogy finale. Towards the end ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens, Han Solo is killed by his villainous son, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), but now with this spinoff, fans will get new insight into the character, before he meets Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) at the Mos Eisley Cantina inStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. As it turns out,Lawrence Kasdanwanted to kill off Han Solo inStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedias well, but now he’s glad thatGeorge Lucaskept this smuggler alive.
“When I was working on the first trilogy I was always lobbying to kill somebody major because I felt that that gave gravitas to the story. If everyone came out fine all the time there was no danger, there’s no jeopardy. AndHarrisonwho was ambivalent at that time about his participation was all for that in ‘Jedi.’ And I was pushingGeorge, I was saying ‘That would be a great idea, I think it should cost us.’ And by the end ofEmpire, you do have to worry about Han, but I think George was correct to keep Han alive. So that’s always been an issue: how much danger is there and what is the real jeopardy in this saga.”
We reported last month that Disney and LucasFilm have reportedly tested more than 2,500 actors to play the young Han Solo, ranging in age from 16 to 31. Some of these actors includeDave Franco,The Walking DeadstarChandler Riggs,Rami Malek,Aaron Taylor-Johnson,Miles TellerandNick Robinson, just to name a few. While we wait to see who is cast as Han Solo in this spinoff, what do you think about this story being set 10 years beforeStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope?
