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Young Han Solo STAR WARS Spinoff Coming from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

What are the odds of The LEGO Movie directors Philip Lord and Chris Miller directing a Star Wars spinoff based on young Han Solo? “Never tell me the odds,” Han might tell you. Well, according to Lucasfilm that is exactly what is happening.

Lord and Miller, a.k.a. the hottest directing duo in Hollywood right now, have been tapped to direct a Star Wars Anthology film based on the adventures of a young Han Solo. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter and later confirmed on the official Star Wars website.

In a statement on StarWars.com, the directors said:

“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 film will be written by the Star Wars superteam of Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan, and will focus on how Han Solo became the scruffy-looking nerf herder that we know and love today. Will we see Han’s time as an Imperial Navy recruit, leading up to when he met Chewie? Will it focus on when the young Corellian smuggler made the infamous Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs? Honestly, I would be happy if it was just a weird offshoot of Clone High that happened to star Han Solo; I’m just glad Lord and Miller are involved.

“We’re so excited to be working with Chris and Phil, who will bring a fresh new dimension to the Star Wars universe,” said the Kasdans. “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.”

Kathleen Kennedy was also quick to sing the directing duo’s praises:

“It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo, and I’m excited to say we’ve found the perfect team to handle the task. Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story.”

Little else is known about who will play the young Solo, although reports surfaced back in February that Kingsman star Taron Egerton was being eyed for the role.

This is not the same project from which Fantastic Four director Josh Trank recently departed; that one was said to revolve around Boba Fett. Rather, this is another Anthology film entirely, coming sometime after the Death Star-centric Rogue One. That project is still looking for a director. Perhaps they’d be best served searching a nearby Sarlacc pit?

With an animated Spider-Man feature in development for Sony, as well as The Flash film for Warner Bros, and a third Jump Street movie on the way, it’s unclear which of these projects may still be on the table for Lord and Miller. This is also to say nothing of the multiple LEGO Movie sequels in which they are involved as either writers or producers. One thing is for certain though — the Force is strong with these two, and I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves.

The film is set for a May 25, 2018 release and will be produced by Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin and co-produced by Will Allegra.

What would you like to see happen in a young Han Solo movie? Who should play him? (And don’t say Chris Pratt.) Let us know in the comments below.

[HT: Star Wars]

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of 100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Follow him on Twitter @Osteoferocious.

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