The search for a young Han Solo is not being taken lightly. When Disney and Lucasfilm announced there would be a Star Wars spinoff movie focusing on the Portrait of a Hero as a Young Scoundrel, there was a disturbance in the force. How successful could this movie be when the entire cult of Han has been created specifically around Harrison Ford’s portrayal and personality?
The addition of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have assuaged some fears about the project (which is being written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, and of course under super-secrecy), as the two are really good at taking suspect ideas and making them awesome. And as such, they are apparently doing their super due diligence to find the right actor for the role, which of course means everything for this project.
According to THR, more than 2,500 actors have auditioned so far, which is about as wide a net as can be cast. Unlike Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the emphasis is not necessarily on finding relative unknowns. Frankly, it seems like just about anyone/everyone is in play at this point.
Since the movie won’t start shooting until January 2017 (for a May 2018 release), there’s still plenty of time to find the right person (which could be any actor 18-32 ish). Reportedly, Dave Franco, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Miles Teller have auditioned, as well as Nick Robinson (Jurassic World), Tony Oller (The Purge), and Leo Howard (Kickin’ It). Outsiders to the proposed age-range could also potentially include Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead), and even Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, though Malek is the same age Ford was when Star Wars was first released).
And, as THR points out, don’t forget about international actors, including Landon Liboiron (Hemlock Grove), Ed Westwick (Wicked City), as well as young comedians, and just literally anyone you can think of under 50, let’s be honest.
Who would you like to see in the role? Because at this point, your dream cast could become a reality. Who could embody both the humor and action chops of Ford’s original portrayal? Let us know in the comments. (And meanwhile, speaking of Harrison Ford, don’t miss his appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, when he described his Star Wars injuries via a Han Solo doll).
