During the Star Wars Celebration “Future Filmmakers” panel in London last week, film directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord revealed the news we had been waiting to hear ever since the announcement of a Han Solo standalone film.
The filmmakers revealed that after 3,000 auditions, 26-year-old American actor Alden Ehrenreich has been cast to play the young smuggler and scoundrel of the rebel alliance.
Funnily enough, Alden was the first of the thousands to audition for the role.
“We thought this was the hardest casting challenge of all time. They were the biggest boots to fill,” Christopher said before adding, “but we cast the first person who walked through the door.”
Speaking of the lengthy audition process, Alden quipped: “I read the sides and I loved them. I auditioned for six months. The coolest part was I went on the Falcon for a chemistry test with Chewbacca.”
“It was unbelievable. It was more exciting than nerve-racking.”
The rising star sure has big boots to fill with Harrison Ford playing the original Han Solo.
The upcoming Han Solo film will hone in on the beloved character’s back story, showing the audience how he came to be the smuggler who takes Luke Skywalker aboard the Millennium Falcon, helping him escape Darth Vader.
“The story focuses on how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley,” Disney announced in a statement last year.
“This dichotomy between a grouchy, seemingly cynical guy, with the biggest heart in the galaxy. That’s a great thing to make a movie about,” it concluded.
He may be a grouchy guy, but he’s loved by Star Wars fans all over the world.
And given Alden’s snappy rise to fame and cheeky boyish grin that resembles that of the iconic Harrison Ford, we’re sure the casting decision has been a great one!
After having his talents discovered at a bat mitzvah by none other than Steven Spielberg, the California-born actor was kick-started into the glitzy Hollywood scene.
He appeared on the small screen in shows such as Supernatural and CSI before the handsome beau was thrusted into the spotlight when he played the stepson of Cate Blanchett in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine.
Fans will remember Alden’s standout performance in Hail, Caesar!
This year, Alden thoroughly impressed critics with his charming performance alongside George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the Coen brothers film Hail, Caesar!, so it would seem that the only way is up for this rising star.
The yet-to-be-titled Han Solo standalone movie is expected to hit screens in May, 2018.
Watch Alden in his hilarious breakout role in the video player below!
