Donald Glover is officially a young Lando Calrissian!
Lucasfilm announced today that Donald Glover, an acclaimed actor, award-winning writer, and Grammy-nominated artist, will be playing the part of Lando Calrissian in the still-untitled Han Solo Star Wars film, helmed by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Glover will join Alden Ehrenreich — previously cast as Han Solo — in bringing two iconic Star Wars characters back to the big screen, but at a time in their lives previously unexplored. This new film depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld — years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.
“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” said Lord and Miller. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”
Glover is best known for creating and starring in the critically acclaimed FX series Atlanta (which had the highest premiere numbers for any basic cable comedy show since 2013), as well as for starring in four seasons of the show Community, and for his Grammy-nominated album Because the Internet, performed under the name Childish Gambino. In addition, Glover appeared in the Academy Award-nominated The Martian, and will be seen in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The untitled Han Solo movie is set for release in 2018.
Originally Posted by Hammock Parties:
The similarities in the look are too on the nose for it to be a coincidence.
I like the idea. It's a fun idea to explore that character since Leia just showed up with the armor out of nowhere in ROTJ.
It's explained in Shadows of the Empire but not sure that's Canon anymore.
I'm all about exploring if, for sure. I love the idea. Just the costume and the helmet specifically are different enough that I just wonder how we can be certain that's who that is.
Again, I really hope the character IS in the movie. I'm just not convinced from that one image. Hope you're right. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hammock Parties:
How is it different enough? It's the same outfit, just styled a little differently, with a slightly different design to the helmet.
We'll just agree to disagree. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying it's not instantly obvious. It's different enough, to my eye, to leave some room for doubt. I would think, at the least, the helmet wouldn't be so different. [Reply]
“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself.” That’s how Han Solo attempted to ease the mind on unimpressed Luke Skywalker when the Tatooine farmboy first laid eyes on the Millennium Falcon. But once upon a time — a long time ago — the Corellian freighter did look pretty fine. So what are these “special modifications”? The answer is going to come in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which has already shown us a version of the iconic starship that is so sleek that some have naturally wondered: Is it the same vehicle?
It definitely is. Give or take.
What we’re seeing in director Ron Howard’s movie with the blue and white design and glossy interior is how the ship existed in the hands of Lando Calrissian before he lost it to Han Solo in a game of sabacc. As The Star Wars Show pointed out last week, this look was partly inspired by the early visual development designs of legendary galactic concept artist Ralph McQuarrie. But storywise, there’s something odd about the Falcon. It changes. Like a living thing. And those differences tend to reflect its current occupant. But those alterations, the “special modifications,” aren’t just cosmetic — they have an explanation, or a deliberate reason for being.
“Where Han gave it a certain shabby coolness and a dinged up quality that reflected where he was at that point in his life, this Falcon reflects its owner very clearly in its shape and aesthetic and his needs, even if those needs be a little more space to entertain,” says Jon Kasdan (writer-director of The First Time) who wrote the Solo screenplay with his father, Lawrence Kasdan (veteran co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens.) “One of the things Larry and I had talked about was the Falcon should always reflect the personality of its captain,” he adds. So Donald Glover’s Lando uses it not just to ferry goods, but as a floating party vessel. Sounds about right.
Alden Ehrenreich, who is taking over the smuggler role from Harrison Ford, says there’s more going on than neglect when it comes to the grimy interior and exposed panels we see in Han Solo’s later incarnation of the Falcon. Maybe Han has his reasons for that. A kind of galactic camouflage. “It’s safer in the galaxy to fly something that looks like a piece of junk. People underestimate you — especially if you’re up to no good,” the actor tells EW. “Kinda like how you’re more likely to get pulled over if you’re driving a Lamborghini.” Han may also be having it travel down more dangerous paths than Lando ever did. The famed Kessell Run, which Han boasted about crossing in 12 parsecs, is pocked with black holes. And in the trailer we see the vessel contending with giant, electrified tentacles in a nebula.
No wonder the new Hasbro toy version of this movie’s Millennium Falcon has break-away panels, revealing the raw, greeble-covered surface beneath. As for that different silhouette, and why it has the more tapered nose instead of the forked mandibles… It would be a spoiler to reveal exactly how that happens. But those claiming the different appearance violates Star Wars canon are mistaken. Those mandibles were always meant to hold something, and it’s clear there’s a section of the new Hasbro toy that can be removed, perhaps a detachable storage container. We’ll see what becomes of that as the May 25 film unfolds.
Any fan who has ever owned a Star Wars toy knows this simple fact: pieces get lost. The Falcon we’ve known all this time is far from mint in the box. What’s more interesting is how the Falcon will continue to evolve in the future. We’re seeing it in the distant past, several years before the events of the original 1977 Star Wars, but the Falcon’s history goes back much further than Han Solo — just as it will continue beyond him in the new saga.
“Remember, when the Falcon enters our movie, it’s already had a long life. Decades of existence. And it’s been modified even from its original design,” says Jon Kasdan. “What we tried to do with the whole movie was take things that we take for granted and love and turn them on their ear.” There’s one more correlation to real life. If you’ve ever owned a new car, you know the anxiety that precedes its first dent or scratch. After that, you can relax.
Maybe the banged up, dingy Falcon isn’t just a sign of Han Solo’s reckless flyboy style, but evidence of the battle scars that allow him to be a little more fearless with his battered but beloved starship as he pilots it into harm’s way. [Reply]
Director Ron Howard has confirmed that fellow filmmaker Jon Favreau has scored a key voice acting role in the upcoming “Solo: A Star Wars Story”.
Howard announced the news on his Twitter, sharing a picture of the two men alongside writer Lawrence Kasdan. Howard says Favreau is voicing a “very cool & important alien character” and took time out from directing Disney’s new adaptation of “The Lion King” to work on the role. That project has been the subject of soundtrack speculation this week with both Elton John and Beyonce rumored to be doing songs for the soundtrack. [Reply]
