“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
So began Han Solo’s passionate remarks about Jedis, the Force and Luke’s lightsaber in Star Wars: A New Hope, which placed the young, untrained Skywalker and Harrison Ford’s nerf-herder on a collision course with the Galactic Empire.
But for Lucasfilm’s upcoming Anthology pic, director Ron Howard plans to whisk Star Wars fans off into uncharted territory – specifically, the seedy underbelly of that famous galaxy far, far away, where Solo: A Star Wars Story is expected to unfold.
Headed up by Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han, Solo is all about our hero’s first steps into the criminal underworld – from petty crook to renown smuggler – where he hopes to become the best damn pilot in the galaxy. He’ll also encounter many of the hallmarks that make Han who he is, including that iconic blaster, which was subtly referenced during Sunday’s trailer.
As reported by ComicBook.com, the scene of Han, Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and Val (Thandie Newton) huddled around a campfire shows Beckett tossing the gun over to the wide-eyed Solo, who admits that he’s “waited a long time for a shot like this.” And the rest is history.
Chances are Lucasfilm and Ron Howard are trying to attach some sentimental value to Han’s weapon of choice, which all plays into the idea that Solo: A Star Wars Story is, in fact, a biopic about the scruffy looking nerf-herder:
“I think this movie is a great adventure story, and it’s a great adventure story that’s kind of a biopic in the way of a fictional character,” said Ehrenreich. “So you’re watching this story unfold and enjoying the high excitement of that. And then at the same time, there’s more of a focus on character and how he changes, I think, than you typically get in that kind of movie.”
And it’s that great adventure, one steeped in the rich history of classic Westerns and heist movies, that’ll light up the silver screen once Solo: A Star Wars Story begins its rollout on May 25th – exactly one week after the release of Deadpool 2.
