Who’s in the Solo: A Star Wars Story cast? Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Paul Bettany and Warwick Davis
HAN Solo, originally played by Harrison Ford, is an iconic character in movie history.
An origins movie is set to reveal his early story and how he ended up crossing paths with Luke, Leia and the rest of the Star Wars universe. Let's get the lowdown on the all-star cast for this sci-fi epic...
What is Solo: A Star Wars Story about?
The movie is the second film in the Star Wars Anthology series which started last year with Rogue One.
It will focus on a young Han Solo and how he became the space pirate, smuggler and lovable rogue whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encounter in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Filming began in February 2017 and the movie is due for release on May 25 2018.
Why were the directors fired and who will replace them?
It was announced in June 2017 that "creative differences" had forced Lucasfilm and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to part ways.
The directing duo - who had huge success with The Lego Movie - released a statement that read: "Unfortunately, our vision and process weren't aligned with our partners on this projects.
"We normally aren't fans of the phrase 'creative differences' but for once this cliché is true. We are really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew."
George Lucas' close-friend Ron Howard was announced as the duo's replacement however in March 2018, it was confirmed that Lord and Miller will still receive executive producer credits.
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Who's in the cast with Donald Glover and Woody Harrelson?
Donald Glover
Donald Glover, 34, will star as a young Lando Calrissian, who, as Star Wars fans know, used to own the Millennium Falcon. Han later becomes the captain of the spaceship after he won her from Lando in a card game.
Donald's star continues to rise as he follows up his Golden Globes wins for Best Television Series and Best Actor in a TV series Musical or Comedy for the comedy-drama series Atlanta in January 2017, with two Grammy Awards for his smash-hit Redbone in January 2018.
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson will play one of Han’s mentors, but unfortunately, the only concrete detail is that his name is Beckett and is both a mentor to Han and some sort of criminal.
Woody, 56, said, “I don't think I should say much more than that because the Force is not allowing me."
The former Hunger Games star is fresh from his third Academy Award nomination for his performance in this year's Oscar-winning film Three Billboards.
Alden Ehrenreich
Rising star Alden Ehrenreich has been cast as the young Han Solo and was reportedly put through his paces by former directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
In the fallout from the duo's departure, Lucasfilm reportedly hired an acting coach for Alden after being unhappy with his performance.
The 28-year-old was discovered by legendary director Steven Spielberg and went on to small roles in Supernatural and CSI.
His biggest performance to date was in Woody Allen's comedy-drama Blue Jasmine alongside Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins.
Thandie Newton
Thandie Newton is playing the mysterious Val in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
“She’s tied to Beckett, that’s how Han meets Val,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “They’ve been partners a long time.”
The 45-year-old is known for her roles in The Pursuit of Happyness and Mission: Impossible 2.
Thandie received a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2005 and she most recently portrayed Maeve Millay in the hit American drama Westworld.
Emilia Clarke
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has also been cast in the film as Qi'ra.
Describing her character, Clarke said "She has a couple of guises, but essentially she is just fighting to stay alive. If you've got a really glamorous lady in a really sordid environment, you kind of know the glamor is hiding a few rough roads."
With regard to her character's relationship with Solo, Clarke offered that "They grew up as comrades, essentially. They grew up as pals, as partners in crime. There is obviously the romantic side of things. But they grew up together. So they were kids together."
Paul Bettany
Avengers star Paul Bettany plays Dryden Vos, a crime lord.
Actor Michael K. Williams had originally been cast, but he was cut from the final film after being unable to return to set during the film's re-shoots.
After Paul was cast, the character was re-worked from a motion-capture alien to a human.
Warwick Davis
The 48-year-old is making a triumphant return to the franchise after it was confirmed he would be playing an undisclosed role.
Warwick's first acting job was as the fan-favourite Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi and he has since made appearances in The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, and Rogue One.
Who else is in the Solo cast?
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37, Lando's droid companion.
- Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Han's Wookiee sidekick and best mate
- Jon Favreau will also provide the voice for "a very cool and important alien character" according to director Ron Howard