Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the creative team behind the 2014 blockbuster The Lego Movie, have signed on to direct the upcoming Star Wars standalone origin story of a young Han Solo.
The film is just one of the many announced and still-to-be-announced projects in the Star Wars anthology, which will begin with the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens, scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. on December 18. The plan is to have movie from the new trilogy – episodes 7, 8, and 9 – released every other year, with the in-between years seeing the release of these standalone spinoffs. The first spinoff, titled Rogue One, is being directed by Gareth Edwards.
Lawrence Kasdan (co-writer on The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens) and his son Jon Kasdan (writer and director of the Sundance hit The First Time) are penning the screenplay, which is rumored to tell the story of how Solo (Harrison Ford in the original trilogy) found his way to his life as a smuggler and scoundrel. Said the Kasdans:
We’re so excited to be working with Chris and Phil, who will bring a fresh new dimension to the Star Wars universe. They’re two of the smartest, funniest and most original filmmakers around, and the ideal choice to tell the story of Han Solo, one of the coolest characters in the galaxy.
In addition to the wildly popular Lego Movie, Miller and Lord are known for the successful Jump Street franchise. They are also attached to the upcoming Lego sequels. Say Miller and Lord about the opportunity to join the Star Wars universe
This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with. We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.
The Solo film, as of yet untitled, is slated for a May 25, 2018 release.
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