Jon Kasdan Would Return For ‘Solo’ Sequel, Wants To See Alden Ehrenreich Back as Han Solo; Acknowledges #MakeSolo2Happen
Jon Kasdan is on the press tour promoting the upcoming Disney Plus series Willow, a follow up to the Ron Howard directed 1988 film of the same name. Solo: A Star Wars Story has come up several times during the press tour, which Kasdan co-wrote with his Father, Lucasfilm screenwriting legend Lawrence Kasdan. In one interview, Jon Kasdan was quite candid and forthright about the original plans for Solo sequels, his willingness to do more, and his hopes that we see Alden Ehrenreich back in the Millennium Falcon for more Star Wars adventures.
Josh Wilding of ComicBookMovie.com first asked Kasdan about Solo and his thoughts on the #MakeSolo2Happen movement:
“…I feel that too, I’m certainly one of those people, and when that time of year rolls around I immediately…my imagination goes to all of the things we intended to do.”
Kasdan went on to explain the greatest reason for a follow up to Solo, besides it being the original plan to make more. Almost verbatim repeating what Alden Ehrenreich said in a separate interview, Kasdan explains that Solo was Han’s journey to becoming the version of Han Solo we eventually meet in A New Hope, after being burned by his mentor Beckett, the love of his life (at the time) Qi’ra, and his friend Lando. If Solo was the journey to that, the follow up would be Ehrenreich being able to play the character fully realized.
“The reason for a Solo 2 is if there’s a great reason and certainly, I’d be game if there was…there were so many great characters we were able to establish, and for me, the strongest argument for a Solo 2 is the movie was Alden’s journey to owning that mantle, and by the end of it I thought he really did, and he didn’t get the fun of getting to just inhabit it for a movie, so I’d love to see him back.”
Here is the video of the exchange:
Jon Kasdan also gave his praise to the current and future slate of Star Wars programming, including Andor, which he refers to as the best Star Wars show ever, and the incredible stuff John Favreau and Dave Filoni are creating. He also mentioned being excited for Damon Lindelof’s Star Wars movie. But, back to Solo…
Lawrence Kasdan (writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Solo, and The Force Awakens) recently said a follow up to Solo is the one thing he would consider returning to Star Wars for, though he would prefer a film over a series. Director Ron Howard, a Lucasfilm legend in his own right dating back to American Graffiti, has continuously, and diplomatically, said he would love to do more, though it is not his decision to make.
There is perhaps no bigger endorsement needed than the original Han Solo, Harrison Ford, praising Alden Ehrenreich’s performance when he surprised him during the press tour for the film. Ford doesn’t often go out of his way to opine on such matters, but he appreciated Ehrenreich making the character his own versus doing an impression of Ford.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, yes that can be said in the present tense once again, took the blame for Solo’s box office performance due to not budging on its release date a mere five months after The Last Jedi and sandwiching it up against Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2. Is there a chance at redemption for the ultimate Star Wars underdog movie? Solo seems to continuously grow in favor with fans as time goes on. That remains to be seen, but to paraphrase Han Solo, “Never tell us the odds.”
#MakeSolo2Happen
John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast
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