Alden Ehrenreich finalizing deal to play young Han Solo
Han Solo orgin story slated as standalone Star Wars movie
Alden Ehrenreich is on his way to landing one of young Hollywood's most coveted roles: starring as a young Han Solo in a standalone film exploring the origins of the beloved Star Wars space smuggler.
The 26-year-old Los Angeles actor is in final negotiations to play the charming scoundrel, according to reports in industry publications Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
The smuggler-turned-hero had so far been portrayed in four Star Wars films, including the recent The Force Awakens, by Harrison Ford.
Ehrenreich recently drew raves for his scene-stealing turn in the Coen Brothers comedy Hail Caesar!, the 1950s-era Hollywood farce in which he played a dreamy young cowboy actor miscast in a drawing room drama.
Though not as well known as some of the more than 2,500 other Han Solo hopefuls filmmakers met — who included Miles Teller, Taron Egerton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ansel Elgort — the 26-year-old Ehrenreich has a significant pedigree.
He previously appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's films Twixt and Tetro, in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere and was discovered by none other than Steven Spielberg, who apparently saw Ehrenreich perform in a video at a friend's bat mitzvah. He is also signed on to star in Warren Beatty's upcoming Howard Hughes film.
The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan is penning the script to the as-yet-untitled film with his son Jon Kasdan. The project is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie), with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy producing.
The standalone Solo film is set to hit theatres May 25, 2018.