For better or worse, Solo: A Star Wars Story can often feel like a Hollywood blockbuster of the most slickly professional kind, moving between its set pieces and action beats at an efficient pace that rarely leaves room for such endearingly frivolous moments as, say, the cast breaking out into a snowball fight.
Director Ron Howard’s serviceable, if rather impersonal storytelling isn’t too surprising, seeing how the seasoned veteran was called upon so late in the project to deliver an agreeable flick. But before Howard tried his hand at Solo, the film was a Phil Lord and Christopher Miller picture, and as those who’ve seen The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street can tell you, this pair aren’t afraid to put the plot on hold for the sake of letting their characters goof around a little.
It’s therefore only natural that there would be some silliness under Lord and Miller’s supervision, with Han and Chewbacca engaging in a spontaneous fight in the snow at one point, much to the frustration of Tobias Beckett. And now, thanks to the deleted scene above, we can see it in all its glory.
Though the moment didn’t make the film’s final cut, star Alden Ehrenreich has fond memories of their trip to this snowy region, saying the following:
“It was kind of this funny experience of waiting around and just hanging out on top of this beautiful mountain. And Woody, being Woody, started throwing snowballs at people, and so we ended up having quite a big snowball fight.”
Since it was recently confirmed that Lord and Miller also devised the first meeting between Han and Chewie, it certainly sounds like their version of Solo: A Star Wars Story would’ve placed more emphasis on the friendship between this famed pair.
Sadly, the cut we got didn’t fair too well at the box office, and based on recent comments from writer Jonathan Kasdan, a sequel doesn’t seem too likely, either. As for whether the Lord and Miller version could ever see the light of day, don’t hold your breath, but it’s a safe bet that more clips like this will find their way online in time.
