Han Solo Movie Is a Heist Western Says Producer Kathleen Kennedy

MovieWeb

By Brian Gallagher

Published Nov 22, 2016

LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy says they want to emulate the style of Western painter Frederic Remington for their Star Wars: Han Solo movie.

With LucasFilm ready to start shooting their second Star Wars spin-off, Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, the cast is starting to come together. We reported just a few days ago that Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has come aboard in an unspecificed role, joining Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. While it remains to be seen when more casting announcements will be made, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy offered a brief update on the spin-off.

The first spin-off, Rogue One, has been compared to a war movie in the past, and it seems the Han Solo adventure will have a much different tone as well. Variety spoke with Kathleen Kennedy, who revealed this project is being crafted with a Western feel. Here's what she had to say below.

"This moves closer to a heist or Western type feel. We've talked about [Frederic] Remington and those primary colors that are used in his paintings defining the look and feel of the film."

LucasFilm still hasn't released any plot details for the Han Solo spin-off, but this story will take place roughly within the same time frame as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. We reported in January that the story will take place 10 years before the events of A New Hope, where we first met Han Solo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. It remains to be seen how many more major characters are needed to be cast before production gets under way early next year.

Last month, rumors surfaced that this spin-off will center on how Lando Calrissian actually lost his ship, the iconic Millennium Falcon, to Han Solo. We first learned that Han Solo came into possession of the Millennium Falcon after he visits his old friend Lando in Cloud City. There is also talk that this movie could actually feature the iconic Kessel Run, which Han Solo made in less than 12 parsecs, a detail that was first revealed in A New Hope.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who have directed box office hits such as 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie, will write and direct Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, which has been set for release on May 25, 2018. This will be the first of the new Disney Star Wars movies that will be released in May, the month which the first six Star Wars films hit theaters. It will also arrive exactly 41 years after A New Hope first debuted. Here's a look at the Remington paintings for an idea about the color palate for Han Solo: A Star Wars Story.