The marketing machine for Solo: A Star Wars Story has started up, and that includes an informative spread in the latest EW cover story. Of all the new Star Wars films Lucasfilm announced in the wake of being acquired by Disney, this prequel was the one met with the most skepticism due to its premise and the fact someone other than Harrison Ford would be playing Han. Even more red flags were raised when original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were shockingly fired towards the end of production and were replaced by Ron Howard. The Oscar-winner essentially handled a second wave of principal photography, as filming on Solo (which officially started in February 2017) didn't wrap until October.Related: Han Solo's Trailer Delay Was GeniusTo make matters worse (in the eyes of fans), Lucasfilm opted to not unveil any promotional materials for Solo until just recently, roughly three months away from release. This was an intentional strategy on the part of the studio as The Last Jedi made its way through theaters, but it was still concerning the project was hidden for so long. One Super Bowl TV spot and a full teaser later, the conversation has changed somewhat. Though there are still some reservations, viewers seem to like the vibe of the spinoff and Ehrenreich's look as the young Han. Now that we've seen some footage, it's time to learn plot details.The New Han (This Page)
Young Han's Mindset
When we first meet Han Solo in A New Hope, he's a selfish cynic who only looks after himself and cares about getting paid. But he eventually shows his true colors when he swoops in at the last minute to save Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin, demonstrating he really did have a conscious. As it turns out, the younger Han was closer to the soft-hearted man we saw at the end of the original trilogy, since star Alden Ehrenreich described his character as "more of an idealist" than we're used to. He wants to be a key figure in the criminal underworld, but has a nice streak that sets him back.
According to Ehrenreich, his Han dreams of being independent and is striving to get to that point, but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy noted Han also wants the respect of others. It's an interesting dichotomy brought about by Solo's upbringing. On the streets since he was 10, Han is another Star Wars orphan looking for his place in the universe. That rough childhood leads to Han yearning for human connections, but wary of getting too close to anyone.
Han's Circle of Friends
Though Han is a bit of a loner, he's not completely isolated in the galaxy far, far away. When Solo begins, his longest acquaintance will be Qi'Ra (Emilia Clarke). Ehrenreich called her "a very important person in his life." Qi'Ra will hopefully add to Star Wars' rich legacy of outstanding female leads, and knows how to "work the system" to her advantage. Another fresh face Solo introduces is Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who is Han's father figure and mentor. He's a criminal hoping to rise the ranks in the underworld by pulling off a big score - seemingly the train heist teased in various promotional materials. Howard mentioned Beckett is the one who hast the greatest influence on Han.
Related: Alden Ehrenreich Was The Right Choice For Han Solo
Of course, Solo will reacquaint viewers with a pair of original trilogy stalwarts. The spinoff will show the fateful first meetings Han has with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Interestingly, Han and Chewie won't instantly become best friends, as it'll take some time before Chewie completely trusts Han. The film should lay down the foundation for their partnership that would last decades before coming to a tragic end. The canon novel Life Debt teased that the two work together to help each other out of tight spots. As for Lando, Ehrenreich joked that dynamic is complicated, and we'll learn more when the film opens.
Harrison Ford's Advice
Ehrenreich has a gargantuan task ahead of him as he follows the footsteps of one Harrison Ford, who perfectly embodied Han Solo in four saga installments. The ultimate success of Solo will depend on how his performance is received. Fortunately, he got some pointers from his legendary predecessor prior to filming. During the duo's famous lunch meeting, Ford gave Ehrenreich some valuable insight that the youngster carried with him to the set. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy noted there were several times during production Ehrenreich would recall something he learned from Ford. Based on the brief glimpses in the footage, Ehrenreich seems fit to do the role justice and should deliver a strong performance.
Ford was also there for Howard once the Apollo 13 helmsman took over the troubled project, telling the director what he learned about the character during his time in the franchise. Ford and George Lucas frequently discussed the character's backstory while crafting the original trilogy, so the Solo team had great interest in what Ford had to say. Luckily, Ford seems to like where the prequel is headed. Not only did he call Ehrenreich a "really good kid," he also gave Lawrence and Jon Kasdan's script a thumbs-up. If the trailer didn't do enough to calm one's nerves, perhaps that revelation will.
Lando Calrissian
One of the most anticipated aspects of Solo is Donald Glover's performance as the young Lando Calrissian. Even though the actor didn't say any words in either the Super Bowl spot or the trailer, he won over many fans with his general charisma and awesome fur coat. The character of Lando was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back as a mysterious figure from Han's past, so it will be interesting to see how their dynamic plays out over the course of the spinoff.
Much like Ehrenreich and Ford, Glover sought the advice of Billy Dee Williams prior to filming, but also worked on making the role his own. As a younger man, Lando is more "over the top" than the person who would one day run Cloud City since he's trying to prove himself. The main difference between Lando and Han is that Lando "likes rules" because he knows how to work them to his advantage, while Han tries to get away with breaking them. And as evidenced by the squeaky clean Millennium Falcon, Lando has "particular tastes" in life. It's fitting the smooth charmer keeps the ship state-of-the-art, while space cowboy Han is a little rougher around the edges, apparently. "What have you done to my ship!?" indeed.
Qi'ra: Femme Fatale
It's fitting a film inspired by noir elements has its own femme fatale in a main role. Qi'ra grew up alongside Han on the streets as they both tried to survive. She's perhaps more of a mystery than anyone else Han knows; Clarke described Qi'ra as "an enigma." And though they're lifelong friends, there's also a romantic element to their relationship. It would appear Qi'ra was Leia before, well... Leia. Everyone Han interacts with in Solo helps shape him into the character he is in the original trilogy, and that includes this mystery woman. The Game of Thrones star went so far as to say "the shadow of Qi'ra is there in Han," so she obviously had a huge impact.
Related: New Solo Images Are Here
The new characters of Solo are all people who were never mentioned in the saga films, a fact the filmmakers are well aware of. Clarke hinted that the spinoff would explain what happened between Qi'ra and Han, using the word "trust" while teasing possible twists. Could Qi'ra be Han Solo's own Vesper Lynd? Remember, Ehrenreich's Han is much more of an idealist than the version Ford portrayed early in the original trilogy, so he had to have experienced something Earth-shattering for that change in mindset. Being betrayed by someone you love would certainly do the trick. There's a reason it's just Han and Chewie in Mos Eisley.
Star Wars' First Female Droid
R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, and K-2SO are some of the most iconic Star Wars characters, so it's no surprise Solo is looking to add a scene-stealing droid of their own. Enter Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37. She is the franchise's first principal female droid, and one who is not subservient to anyone. She differs from her predecessors in the sense she's self-made, always looking to improve herself by integrating parts from other robots into her design. One similarity between L3 and R2, BB-8, et all is that she'll be a source of comedic relief - although her sense of humor is something new for Star Wars. At this point, there have been so many droid antics, it's refreshing to mix things up.
L3-37, as evidenced by her synchronized salute with Lando, is most closely associated with Calrissian. She appears to be Lando's co-pilot when he owns the Falcon, sitting in the chair that would become Chewie's for decades. With the marketing campaign just starting, L3 is sure to factor in to some of the materials down the line. Droids always have a habit of being the breakout stars of Star Wars movies, and L3 should be no exception.
Han Solo's Criminal Family
Before Han became close to Luke and Leia, he had a very different kind of family he stuck with. From the sound of things, mentor Beckett and his associate Val (Thandie Newton) operate as his surrogate parents. Beckett, inspired by Treasure Island's Long John Silver, is a down-on-his-luck thief looking to land a big score. Han essentially forces himself into Beckett's line of work, and the soft side of Tobias lets the kid stick around. As for Val, she isn't thrilled about an idealistic youngster joining their crew, but their relationship will evolve over time. Perhaps she warms up to Han when he proves what he can do.
On the more villainous side of things, EW revealed Paul Bettany is playing a crime boss named Dryden Vos. He's a wealthy member of the underworld who combines class with swagger for a dangerous combination. It's possible he owns the extravagant bar/club location seen in some images and the trailer. And before Star Wars theorists get ahead of themselves, it's merely coincidental Dryden shares the same last name as Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos. There's no connection between the two characters. It was smart on Lucasfilm's part to get ahead of that one now instead of letting speculation build. We still haven't seen Bettany in-character, so it'll be interesting to see when he's unveiled.
Lord and Miller's Influence
History will remember Ron Howard as the director of Solo, but he wasn't the first person who took the job. Phil Lord and Chris Miller of 21 Jump Street and LEGO Movie fame were initially pegged by Lucasfilm to call the shots, but pesky creative differences reared their ugly head at the worst possible time. Four months into production, after being attached to Solo for two years, Lord and Miller were fired, sending the film into a state of turmoil rarely seen in Hollywood these days.
With Howard reportedly reshooting 80 percent of the film, many thought Lord and Miller's input would be nonexistent, but that isn't the case. It was Howard who told EW the duo's fingerprints "are all over" the spinoff, and credited them for all the hard work they put in prior to filming. It will be interesting to see how much of Lord and Miller's allegedly "very usable" footage is present in Solo, but they were the ones who assembled the all-star ensemble cast and conducted the exhausting search for the new Han Solo. That was hardly an easy task. Words from Kathleen Kennedy indicate the breakup was amicable (she remained complimentary of their talents, this just didn't work out), so it would be nice if they got a special thanks credit at the end.
Reluctant Howard
Of course, the director swap wasn't easy for anyone involved. That includes Howard, who was initially reluctant to join the project. Not only is the Oscar-winner a fan of Lord and Miller (he was worried about stepping on their toes), he was also looking to take some time off from directing as he worked on figuring out what was next for his production company, Imagine. However, Howard is friends with Kennedy and the late Alli Shearmur and his discussions with the two helped change his mind. Because Howard liked the script by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan and the talented cast, he felt he was the one who could get Solo back on track.
Related: The DGA Rule That Explains Lord and Miller's Firing
Another factor that motivated Howard was the fact this would present him with a challenge. He joined Solo under very unusual circumstances, but was intrigued by it being a "unique, creative experience." Additionally, Howard has great ties to Lucasfilm, starring in George Lucas' American Graffiti and directing the fantasy picture Willow for the studio. Howard told EW he views Lucas as "a big brother mentor," and couldn't help but be excited to play in the galaxy far, far away Lucas first told him about back in 1972.
Return of The Creator
Howard's first day as Solo director saw a familiar face pay visit to the set: George Lucas. The Creator gave his old collaborator some sage advice about how to conduct oneself on a Star Wars movie. He only meant to stay a short while to just check in and see how things were going, but stayed on set for hours and even had a hand in crafting one of the scenes. That's right. For the first time since Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas directed part of a Star Wars film.
Kennedy was the one who broke the development to EW, saying that Lucas made a suggestion for something Han should do while on the Millennium Falcon. Howard apparently thought it was a great idea and told his cast about it. Kennedy didn't offer many details (she wants to save the surprise for the film), but she did note that it was funny and should be one of the spinoff's laughs. That had to have been a special moment for Lucas. More than 40 years after introducing Han Solo to the world, Lucas made a contribution (however small) to the character's origin story. Hopefully, the scene plays well for audiences.
The Kasdans' Influences
We knew the father/son duo looked to Treasure Island's Long John Silver when writing for Harrelson's Beckett, but that was far from their only inspiration on Solo. They also looked at Clint Eastwood's classic Western Unforgiven and Michael Mann's crime epic Heat, two other films that feature a mentor/mentee relationship as a key component. Specifically in the case of Heat, it sounds like Han is filling Val Kilmer's role as a younger criminal, with Beckett the veteran a la Robert De Niro showing him the ropes.
Another key influence for the writing team was The Big Lebowski, the cult comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen. From the sound of it, Lebowski informed Solo's tone, which is apparently more "off-kilter" than anything we've seen in Star Wars before. If Solo is aiming to be a little more unconventional than its predecessors, that would go a long way in keeping the franchise feel fresh as it releases its fourth new movie in as many years.
The Falcon's New (Old) Look
You can't have a Han Solo origin story without the Millennium Falcon, but many fans were surprised when the ship's shiny new look was revealed. For years, the hunk of junk hasn't looked like much and sported battle scars from years of service. Seeing pictures of Solo's luxury vehicle and the original trilogy's grimy ship was like night and day. It goes without saying the movie will detail what happened to the Falcon, but some details have already been revealed.
For the Kasdans, it was important for the Falcon to reflect the personality of its pilot. Fans know the ship belonged to Lando Calrissian before Han won it in a sabaac game. Lando, of course, is much smoother and dapper than his frenemy, so it shouldn't come as a shock his version of the Falcon is a lot nicer than Han's. Alden Ehrenreich also shared his thoughts, remarking that flying around in a grungy, dirtied-up ship is a great way to avoid detection from authorities when smuggling goods for unsavory criminals.
MORE - Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer Breakdown
Source: EW
