Little by little, we’re beginning to form a clearer picture of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Han Solo anthology pic. Ever since Disney gathered most of the film’s principal cast members and squeezed them into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon – barring Thandie Newton and Michael K. Williams, of course – we’ve had J.J. Abrams shower praise on the “amazing” script, Rogue One director Gareth Edwards commenting on the creative difficulties that Lord and Miller face, and Woody Harrelson going so far as to suggest that the 2018 spinoff could go on to become the best Star Wars movie yet.
It’s a bullish claim, but one that doesn’t necessarily carry a lot of weight given Harrelson is smack bang in the eye of the storm. Thanks to Disney CEO Bob Iger though, who incidentally agreed to a contract extension with the Mouse House through 2019, there are now some tantalizing details to decipher when it comes to 2018’s Han Solo spinoff.
First and foremost, Lord and Miller’s anthology film will purportedly take place over the course of six years, chronicling the arc of Alden Ehrenreich’s budding smuggler from the age of 18 to 24. It’s during this defining time period that Han Solo will come into contact with a certain Wookiee, not to mention the Millennium Falcon itself. But perhaps most intriguing of all is Iger’s comments relating to Solo’s actual name, after the Disney boss noted that next year’s origin story will reveal how Ehrenreich’s nerf herder got his moniker in the first place.
We’re actually shooting now an origin story of Han Solo, which will come out in 2018. That picks up with Han Solo when he was 18 years old and takes him through when he was 24. There are a few significant things that happen in Han Solo’s life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee that will happen in this film. But you will also discover how he got his name.
Before we jump to conclusions, there’s every chance that Bob Iger is simply drawing attention to the ways in which Disney’s spinoff will shed light on how Han Solo made a name for himself in a galaxy far, far away. But it raises an interesting question nonetheless.
All will hopefully be revealed when the untitled Han Solo anthology film races into theaters on May 25th, 2018.