Disney Impressed By Han Solo Sizzle Reel

Screen Rant

Han Solo: Disney Reportedly 'Impressed' With Sizzle Reel

By Chris Agar

Published Jun 28, 2017

A new report indicates Disney licensees liked a Han Solo spinoff sizzle reel, with Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover being the standouts.

Disney licensees were shown a sizzle reel for the upcoming young Han Solo spinoff movie a while back, and apparently liked what they saw. The project has been neck-deep in controversy since the surprise firing of original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Lucasfilm quickly tapped Oscar-winner Ron Howard to fill in and complete production, and the film remains on track for a May 2018 release. Star Wars is unsurprisingly going to be a big part of this year's D23 expo, so many are wondering if Han Solo will be featured in some capacity as Lucasfilm looks to clear the air.

Details about what happened on the set continue to come out, so right now it's difficult to know the full story. Allegedly, there were concerns about Lord and Miller's improvisational style, as they veered off-script a little too much for writer Lawrence Kasdan and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy's liking. Still, word is that a majority of the footage the duo shot is "very usable," which hopefully means the reshoots won't have to be extensive. Now, reports indicate Disney liked what they saw when presented a sizzle reel.

Per Star Wars News Net, a reel was shown to Disney licensees about a month ago, and the reaction was very positive. The outlet indicates Alden Ehrenreich's turn as Han Solo and Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian in particular were highlights, which should be encouraging for fans. You can see their tweets in the space below:

They were especially impressed with Glover and Ehrenreich. That's why we think Alden will do just fine as young Han. :) #excited 2/2— SWNN (@StarWarsNewsNet) June 27, 2017

Recently, it was said Lucasfilm hired an acting coach for Ehrenreich late in the game when it appeared the actor was not delivering the desired results as the smuggler. Hopefully, the fact Disney licensees enjoyed his performance in the sizzle reel means all is not for naught, and Ehrenreich is doing a good job. It's always possible the studio liked his interpretation overall and just wanted him to fine-tune certain aspects so he was more in line with Harrison Ford in the original trilogy. There is some wiggle room in Han Solo for Ehrenreich to make the scoundrel his own, but he can't be a radical departure from the previously-established character. That fine line will make or break this standalone, which is why some viewers were skeptical about it from the beginning. However, Ehrenreich has demonstrated talent in the past and should be able to do Han Solo justice.

Star Wars fans are justifiably feeling a little uneasy about this unprecedented shake-up, but this revelation should calm some nerves. Of course, Disney licensees aren't going to openly criticize a short teaser of a tentpole, though it's still good to hear Han Solo has made an impression. There was a lot riding on getting this movie "right" before Lord and Miller departed, and now the levels of pressure have only raised exponentially. It's exciting to hear about sizzle reels testing well, but what would do wonders for viewers is if they actually got to see footage and judge it for themselves. If something is shown at D23, Lucasfilm would be wise to share it with the public.