UPDATE: EW’s Coverage of Solo: A Star Wars Story – New Photos, Character Details, and Speculation
Less than a week removed from fans pounding on desks and screaming from the rooftops (writing stuff on social media), wanting to see something surface from the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, we have a quick commercial teaser, a full teaser, and now the Walter Cronkite of Star Wars reporting, Anthony Breznican is beginning to release his coverage of the film. Let’s check it out!
Breznican dives into the galaxy, comparing Solo’s marketing arrival to the smuggler himself, in that it’s never when it’s supposed to be, seemingly unplanned, unfit, but somehow gets the job done. In his first piece on the film at Entertainment Weekly, Breznican talks about the theme and arc behind Solo the character, a pattern that Han can’t help but find himself often repeating, amidst his internal chaos:
Try as he might to live outside the law, to care about nothing, to embody his loner name, he finds himself inexorably pushed and pulled by the tractor beam of his own decency. Just when you think he’s gone forever, he comes back to save the day.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy gives her take on the film and Han at this point in his life:
“(Solo is) a heist, gunslinger type movie. He might be a little more immature, he may be a little less experienced, and he may hone his cynicism over time, but he’s very wary,” she says. “He needs to gain the respect of the people he interacts with, even if they’re the lowest of the low.”
A heist, gunslinger movie directed by Ron Howard, and written by Lawrence Kasdan? On the surface this sounds like it has the makings of a terrific adventurous Star Wars movie, but the question remains, can Ehrenreich fill one of the largest set of proverbial shoes in cinematic history? And did they do enough to move beyond the production troubles that burdened this film last year? If Breznican’s coverage is any indication, they might have pulled it off. Like Princess Leia told Solo in The Empire Strikes Back:
You have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.
Breznican goes into some detail about one of the more interesting shots from the trailer, that weird train-looking thing coursing through snowy mountains:
that roller coaster-like train in the trailer is called The Conveyex, and Han has to prove his hoodlum bona fides by stealing something (we don’t know what) from on board.
Breznican goes on to talk briefly about the cast of characters in the film, including some new names we have yet to hear. In addition to Chewie and Lando we will meet:
(Han will) fall head over heels for shadowy Qi’ra (Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke), and cross paths with Lando Calrissian (Atlanta’s Donald Glover stepping into the cape of Billy Dee Williams) and his droid sidekick L3-37 (played via motion capture by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.)
The wannabe smuggler will also face career crooks Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), blaster-toting Val (Thandie Newton), and crime boss Dryden Vos (played by Paul Bettany).
The movie will keep us on our toes in terms of characters’ intentions. Who can Han trust? Will friends be foes, and vice-versa. It sounds like Han will be as curious as we are, figuring out who he can and can’t trust:
“I think that’s exactly what Han’s trying to do throughout the film,” Ehrenreich says.
Here is Breznican’s video introducing his coverage of the film, which will have more published today in the form of an interview with Alden Ehrenreich, followed by Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, and a lot of new photos tomorrow!
With almost a year’s worth of production drama spattered over this project, it appears it is now time for Solo to punch it into lightspeed, let the past die, and embrace what may end up being quite the underdog Star Wars movie. It is crazy in a Disney-owned Lucasfilm era to call a Star Wars film an underdog, but after some divisiveness with The Last Jedi coupled with an immense amount of production chaos that occurred during the production of this film, it is as close as an underdog as a Star Wars movie can get. But while us die-hard fans are well aware of the chaos, most casual movie-going Star Wars fans barely knew this movie existed, so to them there was no drama, they simply see an upcoming Star Wars film that happens to be directed by Ron Howard. But like I said, you do know about the problems that this film faced, so one question remains: are you rooting for it?
SOURCE: EW
We will bring you more of Breznican’s coverage as it is released, as well as our take and anything else we feel connects the dots!
UPDATE
Entertainment Weekly has released nine exclusive new photos from the film, so let’s check them out and put them into as much context as we can!
No analysis needed for this photo, let Lawrence Kasdan do the talking here:
“To me, this is a love story between Han and Chewie. Their relationship has always been my favorite part of the saga, and the fact that only Han understands what Chewie is saying, I find a very funny possibility for comedy. Wookiees have so many positive qualities, but what they don’t make it easy for you to get close to them.”
Han in a very cool looking jacket, pulling off that hands on the belt look Ford oft-used. This looks to be back on that sandy planet we saw in the teasers, perhaps from the shoots on the island of Fuerteventura that were reported about last spring. We know that Han finds himself in what appears to be some sort of Old West style showdown on this planet. Ehrenreich tells Breznican about Han’s state of mind in the movie, surprisingly saying he is an idealist of sorts:
“I think the main thing that’s different is that the Han we meet in this film is more of an idealist. He has certain dreams that he follows, and we watch how it affects him as those dreams meet new realities — realities that are harder and more challenging than he’d expected.”
If anyone has any doubts about Donald Glover as Lando, they may have already subsided without even hearing him speak a word. He looks utterly brilliant here. Han wasn’t kidding that he was a card player and a gambler, as he is playing the game that lost him the Falcon to Han right here!
Emilia Clarke’s character Qi’ra grew up with Han, as an outcast, but by the looks of the teasers and images we’ve seen it sure looks like they grew apart and found their paths go in completely different directions. My guess is the hot rod chase we see at the beginning of the film is when they were both on the same page, both rather common-folk, outcasts, but then we flash forward and she has clearly become more a part of high society, while Han took his path of swindling, smuggling, and rebelling for his own sake. The two clearly went on different paths and will likely be reunited after not seeing each other for a few years.
It looks like we have Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s version of a bar/club/watering hole. It’s become a staple and as we have previously seen in other images there is a interesting looking singer accompanied by a frog-looking creature in a jar that our own James Baney of our The Resistance Broadcast believes may do some singing of it’s own.
Ron Howard posted a photo to his social media with Paul Bettany a while back from this location, which may or not have shown us Boba Fett in the background. Will Han and Boba have their first encounter in this very club? (See top left of the photo below)!
Anyway, moving on. This shot is fantastic. Chewie and Han on that Conveyex, clearing stealing whatever Breznican was alluding to earlier.
Seeing Chewie in action is always a great sight to see, and this is surely one of those moments the two will look back on over some drinks at cantinas in the future. Oh and according to Breznican, don’t bother translating the text:
EW translated the Aurebesh writing below them. No luck. It spells: “Hitch Joint.”
Han Solo, growing up with no father figure (what a Star Wars trope!), sees Woody Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett as just that. It will be an interesting parallel to stack that up against how Rey viewed Han in The Force Awakens. But Beckett may not exactly be the fuzzy father figure one would typically yearn for according to Ron Howard:
”He’s a powerful criminal, but a free agent. Tobias Beckett really shapes Han more than anybody, as Han comes to believe that in a lawless time, he needs a moral code.”
And yes, this is indeed the Falcon, so we just need to know why is it so clean?! Here is my take on how it gets so dirty!
My theory on how the Millennium Falcon gets so filthy looking.
The Kessel Run is so treacherous, and Han Solo having taken the most hazardous route (12 par-secs), causes the smuggling compartments to bust open and Sansanna spice goes EVERYWHERE. #SoloAStarWarsStory #StarWars pic.twitter.com/gE7zMsolc0
— John Hoey (@JohnnyHoey) February 6, 2018
Here is the Falcon flipping and smacking TIE Fighters into oblivion like we are used to seeing!
Mimban Mudtroopers, Mimban was a setting in Allan Dean Foster’s novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, (which is obviously not canon now), and was initially in Rogue One, but was replaced by Jedha. Regarding Mimban, Breznican says:
It has an atmosphere full of thunderstorms, so its sky is perpetually overcast and the land is always draped in mist.
Remember those Star Destroyers flying through storm clouds? I think we know where those are now.
Lando’s droid side-kick, which looks like it will be full of personality and add plenty of levity to the film, much like K-2SO did for Rogue One.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays this mechanical character via motion-capture. She’s got a more idiosyncratic personality than your typical droids. She’s more human — which probably means more emotional and slightly less rigid.
The more Breznican gives us, the more we’ll update this and give it to you with our takes on everything! So keep it here!
“For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”
John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast
"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."
Good, very good…
Dryden Vos, eh? Wonder if that’s any relation to a certain Jedi character.
There’s a thought. That would be interesting if he was.
A train heist, spaghetti western feel… I am SO happy right now! We are about to confirm what makes Star Wars truly great is not elderly men in bath robes, but Space Smugglers! About time! Punch it goddamnit!
“what makes Star Wars truly great is not elderly men in bath robes” says the guy with the ultimate guy in robes in SW as profile picture 😉
I know right? No one can repel sarchasm of this magnitude!
Couldn’t agree more!
L3-37? Really? lol…
But a heist gunslinger movie? I’m all up for that. I wonder what other familiar scum and villainy he will come across. Surely this is a chance to bring in Jabba and Fett.
Yay, wonderful pictures, cant wait for the movie!
I think it will be pretty damn good.
It is looking more and more like I will be there opening night.
Looking forward to seeing Glover’s interpretation, Alden will have to win me with his performance, because based on looks alone, just nope
I dunno, I watched the trailer a few more times and came to the conclusion that this is a younger Han.
Finger of Doom or GTFO.
Is that a hobbit driving the Falcon?
Can’t wait to see when Han shows up.
I haven’t been at all bothered by his height…until that still of Han talking to Becket in the Falcon’s hold. Dear sweet baby jesus is it obvious when he’s standing in a set we know Ford in very well.
Perhaps Corellians grow at a much slower pace than other humanoids?
(And apparently receding hair reverses itself in your twenties when you’re a Corellian too.)
Lol, it’s a bit jarring alright, though I thought this guy Ehrenreich was great in that Hail Caesar movie so I have some hope for this movie.
People keep saying that. I saw the film, and I really can’t agree with that sentiment at all… which is one of those “rinse, lather, repeat” statements that people keep shoving down our throats.
Besides… that movie is so bad, even Tommy Wiseau would have been lauded as a stand-out performer.
Oh no, can’t agree with that, I quite enjoyed that movie, anyway, how is your sex life?
You interested? Send me a pic. (I get to pick the movie for our first date though.)
Ah Rev, you missed my TW reference.
One and done with that film too. 😉
A bit jarring is an understatement.
Love the droid.
Ehrenreich looks nothing like Harrison Ford.
Ditto for this clown doing his best Colt 45 impersonation.
Disney is completely incompetent. They have no idea what they’re doing.
Is this where you want to kill them and their families?
He will write the death threat with his own mouth poop.
Anyone done any comparison pictures between Ehrenreich and Ford at the same age?
Clowns are scary – Lando doesn’t look scary.
Did you hate Chris Pine as well, Jason?
That’s who he reminded me of. I wonder if this new Solo will cheat on the Kobiyashi Maru test.
I disagree in that I think they’re both close enough. However, I must applaud you for not saying “but Glover is perfect” basically just because he’s a black guy.
What happened to the Falcon?
The panels and trim being removed down to the essentials seems like a way to make the ship as light as possible. But how did it get so uniformly dirty?
They ran out of toilet paper?
That’s when Chewie’s long fur comes truly handy.
When Chewie gets itchy he rubs up against things.
Han’s a ‘dirty’ boy! Imagine what a black light would show!
A fire.
The more I see, the more I like.
At first I quite liked the clean interior of the Falcon, but in the shot above it looks like “generic sci-fi TV show 345”. Hope it doesn’t take too long to start trashing it!
Disagree 100% A clean Falcon is one of the most unique and unexpected things in the movie so far.
I agree, it is unique and unexpected. It’s just the squeaky clean interior that is reminiscent of old school TV SciFi.
I suspect that by the end of the film it’ll have a few dings and dents and might even be the set up for a humorous moment when Lando looks at what’s left of it.
Well, it has been Lando’s ship up to this point, and Lando probably treats his ship like he treats his clothes, always gotta look box-fresh!
Ship needs a cape.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Harrison Ford is a representation of Han Solo, but Han Solo isn’t a representation of Harrison Ford. Characters in a story can remain immortal, while the actors who portray them cannot. Ehrenreich is a necessity at an attempt to enrich Han Solo’s backstory. Expecting him to capture the look and all of the nuances of Harrison Ford is setting yourself up for disappointment.
By the way, this is coming from someone who didn’t love TLJ, and had a fair share of problems with the movie; So no, Disney does not line my pocket with mouse gold.
They’ve obviously got to you.
Was it the bamboo under the finger nails?
I was locked in Belle’s Castle and forced to listen to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” until I cracked. A far worse fate, I assure you.
Here’s your remedy…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZzhhleFHxw
That is pure gold lol
How much did Disney pay you to write this shit?
Lol Disney doesn’t have to pay me to try and be as logical as I can. If they want to throw me a free vacation or something, I’ll take it though.
Uh… so you’re hating on the film already- based on a minute long trailer, and call yourself a real star wars fan?
Coincidentally, REAL and I seem to share the same opinion about TLJ. He just seems to be the kind of Star Wars fan who shows his love and devotion to the franchise by trashing every decision they make, and insulting other fans. “Real” fan indeed.
Very mature reaction. There is not a website for people who doesnt like new Star Wars? I’m getting tired of read this kind of comments. It’s fine you dont like it. Find another hobby, there is a lot!
“It’s fine you dont like it.”
Obviously it isn’t.
Calling someone else’s comment “shit” and implying he is a paid shill is not simply an expression of your opinion on Star Wars. It IS fine if you don’t like some part of Star Wars. It is NOT fine to be an asshole to people stating their own opinions.
How much sunlight do you experience in an actual day? 3 minutes? Or does it not reach the bridge you live under?
Oh, that old gag. So pathetic.
Have you seen Anthony Ingruber ? His impersonation of Han-in-Mos-Eisley-cantina is perfect ! In addition, I believe he was cast as a young Harrrison Ford (against HF) in AGE OF ADALINE…..
The guy does do a pretty spot on impersonation, that’s for sure. I actually saw Age of Adaline when it came out, and he did a decent, albeit limited, job in that as well.
I admit that I don’t know much about who auditioned for Solo. If Ingruber did audition, LF must not have been sold on his ability to play a main role in a movie. That’s not to say he isn’t talented, he certainly is, but I’ll trust Disney’s decision with this.
Do you want an impersonation or do you want an actor? If you want impersonations go watch YouTube.
TBH I haven’t seen ADALINE, but one assumes its film-makers were happy enough for him to play a supporting part. Personally, I’d lean towards physical similarity over good acting, to retain the believability and ‘immersiveness’.
But it reeks of an impersonation. Let Alden do his own thing.
“Harrison Ford is a representation of Han Solo, but Han Solo isn’t a representation of Harrison Ford. Characters in a story can remain immortal, while the actors who portray them cannot.”
Yep. I agree. Star Wars has transcended its time period and has fixed itself a spot in our popular culture as indelible as many other “forever” properties. Whether or not we like the idea, we’re going to eventually see other actors play Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. It’s that, or we never see another story with them again. And I can’t imagine that being a viable long-term option.
We can laugh, scoff at, or dismiss the idea right now, but we’ll probably see all of these characters digitally recreated in the future. Tarkin in Rogue One was really, really well done. He wasn’t perfect, but so good that I could see the potential of where this technique will lead in another few years.
It’s somewhat like James Bond. How many actors have played him?
Alden was very toughtful in his answers.
I’m almost willing to bet that Emilia Clark will start good, but will eventually backstab Solo, go Imperial, and end up either dead or highly unlikable.
Too bad, because I thought she could have made a really interesting hero.
There just isn’t enough brunette British heroines in Star Wars.
either imperial, traitor, dead or all that 🙂 she´s not in the next one so according to Disney she must be dead. 🙂
No reason to feel bad; you just made that up in your head based on nothing.
There needs to be a moment in the film where Donald Glover breaks the fourth wall, looks at the audience and says “Works every time.”
Looks far more interesting than TLJ to be honest!
SLAY!!!!
Another constructive comment from you. Bravo.
Those are both spoof accounts.
Kent Kaliberr is my new favorite contributor.
Well, Kent has never started shit with anybody here, so it’d be nice if SWNN could flag it.
You may be right….assuming Vader makes another appearance.
so 5 years before Cantina the piece of junk is shiny as new 🙂 ok….
I can buy a brand new Aston Martin today and it can look like a piece of junk in a week, much less 5 years. Why is a 5 year time span, flying around the galaxy, too hard to wrap your mind around?
This guy suffers from an incredible lack of imagination. Considering that Han piloted the Falcon through 5 years (or more) of smuggling, modifications, getting shot at, and hanging out in the lowest places in the galaxy, it’s a wonder it’s in as good a shape as it is.
None of these actors look like they belong in a Star Wars movie. Lucas never in a million years would have cast any of these people. Even Woody Harrelson. Who’s a first rate actor, no doubt and one of my personal favs. Nevertheless he is completely out of place in the GFFA.
OMG…just shut the fuck up already. Change your name. Delete your account.
Unless there are actors out there with head-tails, I can’t even imagine what you are talking about.
If guys want to stick up for other males, which I try to do, I find it’s best not to make the gender look bad by spouting annoying crap like this. It really just reinforces whatever negative connotations you feel are unfairly ascribed to men. Give everyone a fair shake and keep the victimhood to yourself. There are lots of us guys out there who are happy to see things start turning around. Toxic masculinity affects us too. It’s not good for anyone. Mull that over if you have time to consider it. Thanks.
What a baseless statement.
That pic of Alden and Chewie on the Falcon looks like it was taken at a Disney theme park. lol
Kasdan, Chewie, landspeeders, great actors, western style, cool jackets, spaceships, a bar, robots, helmets everywhere… Yep. I will have a good time
I had my doubts initially, but, I have to admit, that the more I see of this, the more optimistic I’m getting. It looks like a fun ride of a Star Wars film! I can’t wait to enjoy!! 🙂