The cast of Solo: A Star Wars Story joined together this past weekend in Los Angeles to discuss the new film, their experiences, challenges, and the impact of Solo in the Star Wars universe.
Taking the reigns from legendary actor, Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich discussed how important it was to get Ford’s blessing, making sure to meet with him and go over the role prior to shooting. “We had lunch two years ago. He was really encouraging, really supportive”. After completing the project, Ehrenreich confirmed that Ford gave his seal of approval on the film. “It meant so much to me…such a huge deal for him to really genuinely love it.”
Jumping into the role of Han Solo and taking the controls of the Millennium Falcon made a huge impact, and the entire experience was an unbelievable opportunity. “It’s really wild, it’s really exciting…bigger than you can wrap your head around”
Ehrenreich was not the only one caught up in the power of Star Wars, as costar Thandie Newton brought up her own experience on set during action and battle sequences. She described the realism and huge scope of the production. “We would feel like we were in real battle scenarios, with explosions going off, debris, and mud in places you didn’t even know you had” She stated in some cases, it felt like a nightmare.
Still, the cast really bonded, and she described the friendships that formed over all the time spent together. “We’ve been shooting for a long time, some of the stuff that you share…that camaraderie was really felt. We were really going into battle together”
It was a hard fought production process, as fans saw a change in direction, writing, and overall shifts made to bring Solo to life. Ron Howard, who stepped in to take over directing Solo, mentioned what it felt like to come in and help get the film where it needed to be. “I came into this situation and had to work off instinct more than anything else.” Howard admitted that despite his past connections with Star Wars and the creator, George Lucas, he wouldn’t have come on board without the entire cast and crew that had already been established. “I’m a fan, and I also appreciate the movies. I’m not encyclopedic. I don’t know everything. I haven’t seen everything…read everything”
Instead, Howard, used his best instincts, and changed perspective to make sure he was meeting the standard Star Wars has come to be known for. “I’m going to treat this like a true story, I’ve done a lot of true stories. I always have technical problems. I go for the heart, I go for the drama, the excitement of the narrative and the story. I let the technical advisors tell me where else it could go or what I might be able to look at.”
Howard made sure to compliment and give credit to Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan. Co-writing the script, the father and son duo helped fill in any gaps Howard had, fully understanding the source material and Star Wars knowledge needed. Lawrence Kasdan had penned the script for The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as The Force Awakens. With that experience though, he made sure to reflect on what drew him into the world of Star Wars to begin with.
“George set up something that could go in many different directions and it would be wonderful for a long time…It happens to be a Star Wars story, but always first, we are always trying to tell a story that will keep you interested. “
Jonathan expanded upon his father’s words when thinking about how to add to the Solo canon. “Is there a kind of genre movie, a crime movie, a western that we could fit Han Solo into? How do we plug that guy into the kind of movie we love, story we want to see.” For the Kasdans, it was important to make the film stretch beyond the traditional convention of Star Wars, fitting a classic lead in line with the likes of Clint Eastwood, Humphrey Bogart, or Steve McQueen. Still, that Star Wars sizzle was needed to tie it all together. It became a mix, creating the full picture of what Solo would look like as a complete story.
“In doing so, we are able to have along the way, moments these that are familiar and people connect with. They have personal relationships with these characters; it gives it an added level of pleasure. At its base, it’s trying to be its best version of a western or a crime film”
Overall, the film was a team effort, all in the hopes of bringing something new, yet familiar to the fans. With early reactions already in, it’s safe to say there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Solo: A Star Wars Story blasts into theaters May 25th.
This article is written by Maverick Bohn
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