Solo: A Star Wars Story Sequels Aren't Set In Stone, Says Ron Howard
The Millennium Falcon isn't officially lined up for another voyage just yet.
Speaking in a recent interview with Fandango, Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard opened up about recent reports that actor Alden Ehrenreich had signed on for three films (including Solo) in which he would star as the iconic space smuggler Han Solo.
An unexpected break in news surrounding the Star Wars saga, Ehrenreich's mention of a three-movie deal shook up our idea of the purpose of the anthology films: to serve as one-and-done standalones, like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, rather than the first installments in their own series. However, Howard has revealed that these potential Solo sequels aren't set in stone, implying that studios Disney and Lucasfilm are waiting until the film flies into theaters to formulate an approach to the Ehrenreich-starring follow-ups.
"I think the fans are going to define all of that," Howard said when asked about Solo setting up further adventures in the future. "I mean, I think that Lucasfilm and Disney in casting actors, and particularly younger actors, want to see what happens and build upon that. Certainly, they want the commitment from the young actors, but there are no concrete plans. I think there's been a lot of creative energy and now marketing energy going behind this movie."
The director continued, discussing how Solo: A Star Wars Story could evolve into more than just a spinoff film: "I think these are exactly what they're meant to be, or what they're designed to be. They're single movies exploring the galaxy; but of course, as a company, I think they're going to be very interested to see how people respond to it and take it from there. This whole thing is kind of a cool, ambitious exploration of what the galaxy and the Star Wars sensibility can continue to mean to fans."
Deals for multiple films are pretty commonplace in Hollywood, and even more so in ever-expanding franchises like Star Wars (Rogue One actress Felicity Jones had a sequel option in her contract despite her character literally dying at the end of the pic), but the fact that Ehrenreich is set up to take on additional projects and reprise the role Harrison Ford originated seems to prove Lucasfilm's confidence in the actor. Although, the studio more than likely struck the deal with Ehrenreich when he was cast instead of holding out to get a feel for his performance.
All things considered, Disney and Lucasfilm are smart to have preemptively secured Ehrenreich for a few more Star Wars flicks if Solo: A Star Wars Story turns out to be a major hit (which it just might, as it's tracking for an impressive opening weekend), and are just as savvy for not jumping the gun and getting started on them right away if it ends up flopping.