The LEGO Movie helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have added another major project to their already-packed slate. According to THR - and since officially confirmed - the popular writer-director duo are now fast-tracking a Han Solo spinoff movie for Lucasfilm. The untitled movie lands under the Star Wars Anthology banner, meaning that it exists within the universe but away from the main Episode titles.
Lord and Miller will direct with Lawrence Kasdan and his Jon Kasdan sharing scripting duties. Story-wise, the film will focus 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."
“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with," Lord and Miller said in a statement. "We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.”
The pair were previously attached to the Flash feature for Warner Bros. as part of their vast comic book universe. It's now expected that they'll either push back development as much as time allows, or drop out from those commitments altogether. And who can blame them? With regards to their Spider-Man and Jump Street obligations at Sony, it seems they will simply take a back seat for the time being so they can dedicate their time to Star Wars.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who is set to produce the movie, also threw in her two cents on the duo's latest gig. “It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo," she says, "and I’m excited to say we’ve found the perfect team to handle the task. Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story.”
The Han Solo spinoff movie opens on May 25, 2018.
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