Star Wars spin-off will reveal how Han Solo got his name
It is legendary throughout Star Wars’s galaxy far, far away, but it seems that Han Solo’s name may not be his real one.*
According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the forthcoming Han Solo prequel will reveal how Harrison Ford’s space smuggler acquired his name – suggesting that it hasn’t been with him from birth.
Iger divulged the detail, as reported by Deadline, during a talk at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, where he also hinted that film would see the first meeting between the character and his Wookiee sidekick, Chewbacca.
“[The film] picks up Han Solo when he was 18 years old and takes him through to when he was 24,” Iger said. “There were a few things that happened [that were] significant in Han Solo’s life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee, that will happen in this film. But you’ll also discover how he got his name.”
The as-yet untitled Han Solo film will be directed by The Lego Movie creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and will star Hail, Caesar! actor Alden Ehrenreich as the young Solo. Earlier this week Woody Harrelson confirmed that he will appear in the film as Beckett, “a criminal and a mentor to Han”. Other stars in the film include Donald Glover (playing Lando Calrissian), Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton and Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a Chewbacca-style role.
Iger also touched on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, confirming that Carrie Fisher’s image will not be digitally altered or recreated in the film and the storyline will not be altered in the wake of her death.
“Carrie appears throughout [Episode] VIII,” he said. “We are not changing the film to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is.
“In Rogue One, we had some digital characters,” he added, referring to the appearances of the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin, and a younger version of Fisher’s character Princess Leia in the film. “We are not doing that with Carrie”.
Iger also discussed the future of the franchise, confirming that Disney and Lucasfilm are planning to continue Star Wars beyond the current trilogy. “We’ve got a creative team actually thinking about what could be another decade and a half of Star Wars stories,” he said
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