It’s unlikely that the producers of the Star Wars spin-off will have any problems casting an actor to play the younger version of Han Solo, the role that propelled Harrison Ford into the stratosphere, but Irish actor and What Richard Did-star Jack Reynor is in the mix.
Disney and Lucasfilm are searching the galaxy with a Fett-ian fury in what is being described as the widest casting search ever to find a man who can play the role. According to the Hollywood Reporter, more than 2,500 actors have met with producers or supplied tapes to secure the plum role, with casting director Jeanne McCarthy in charge of choosing the actor to fill Ford’s shoes.
Those in serious contention, a wide range of actors ranging from Chandler Riggs, the 16-year-old star of The Walking Dead, Dave Franco, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Miles Teller, and Reynor are now being whittled down before directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie and the Jump Street franchise) turn their Midas hands to Solo’s first solo outing.
The film is due to start production in January 2017, and is not scheduled for release until May 25th, 2018.
The mammoth casting process marks a turning point from the hushed and secretive selection of stars of The Force Awakens, set for global release later this month. The seventh instalment of the George Lucas franchise that first hit screens in 1977 is directed by JJ Abrams, who went to great lengths to cast the roles. The film’s two leads, British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are both relatively unknown and Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is rumoured to have lost out on the chance to star in the series after she publicly discussed auditioning.
The plot to the Han Solo movie is being kept under strict secrecy, but is being written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, who’ve previously written dialogue for the character on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The working title of the film is Red Cup, a nod to the disposable plastic cups produced by the Solo Cup Corp that are a staple in US parties.
Very excited. Celebrating by drinking fancy whiskey out of this cup: pic.twitter.com/RpJKzmW5Ns
— Chris Miller (@chrizmillr) July 7, 2015
