Alden Ehrenreich to play young Han Solo
May 6, 2016
US actor Alden Ehrenreich will play starship pilot Han Solo in an upcoming stand-alone Star Wars movie, several media reports said on Friday.
Ehrenreich takes over from Harrison Ford, 73, the original Han Solo who made the scruffy-looking character famous in the blockbuster Star Wars trilogy from the 80s. The role of Han Solo catapulted the actor to stardom.
Screen tests had narrowed down the field of hopefuls, including Taron Egerton, Jack Reynor,Scott Eastwood and Logan Lerman, for the coveted role of Han Solo in the stand-alone movie in the Star Wars universe.
No stranger to Hollywood
Ehrenreich, 26, appeared in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, had a co-leading role in the comedy Hail, Caesar! and was cast in a lead role in Warren Beatty’s untitled Howard Hughes project, expected to be aired later this year. He is currently in production on The Yellow Birds.
The stand alone Han Solo film, expected to delve into Solo’s life before he hooked up with the rebel alliance, is currently in preproduction under Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of "The Lego Movie."