Han Solo Spinoff

Ok, let's kiss and make up.




You can be Leia

 

Disney needs to PULL THE PLUG on this AWFUL, HORRIBLE idea before its too late!

If the Prequels taught us one thing, its that when it comes to beloved characters, less can be more (Vader and Boba as little kids, anyone?)
As others have said, anyone other than Ford as Han will be so jarring and desperately unoriginal when you have a whole galaxy to explore.

 

As long as you promise to be gentle.

--- Double Post Merged, Jul 8, 2015, Original Post Date: Jul 8, 2015 ---

The only thing the Prequels taught us was Lucas' best work was behind him and he needed a producer that would tell him no and a writer to punch up what he was doing. People don't seem to realize how much his ex-wife worked on his scripts as the first editor of them. Better script/dialog/direction would make them better movies and we would be glad to know where/how they were created.

As to why they would go with Han, its obvious, Rogue 1 all new characters it seems, Han known property. They are mixing up the Anthology films. I would guess we will get more new characters and ideas as the Anthology line continues to grow.

 

Not to mention when people say "no one but Harrison can play Han" or "it'll be too jarring," what they really mean is "TO ME!" Because once again, the past history when it comes to recasting "iconic" characters simply DOES NOT support that argument. And the only defense for said argument seems to be "well this is different, somehow." "Han is different from those other times for, reasons." And you're right about Rogue One. The fact that it seems to be focused almost completely around new characters makes these complaints about being "too wedded to famous names" even LESS convincing.

So far they've announced TWO anthology films. And given the massive investment that they've made in this franchise, starting a bit "conservatively" at first is probably a smart move. Then, if these films are successful, they can then expand and try more "unique" ideas. Actually, that strategy has worked out quite well for a certain other Disney-owned studio.

 

I'm sort of conflicted here, because Han has always been my favorite because Harrison nailed the jaded, scoundrel-with-a-heart-of-gold so well. Ford has always had the rare ability to convey confidence and vulnerability at the same time (e.g. the "...it's the mileage" scene in Raiders). So for me, it all comes down to casting. I'm sure there's a young-enough actor out there who could get that mix right, and I hope they find him. (Come to think of it, if he weren't a little too old to play young Han and already Poe, Oscar Isaac would have the exact acting chops required).

Also, I'm glad Kasdan is involved. He wrote Indy and Han at their best, so he knows the tone to shoot for.

Finally, as we got to know Han in the OT, we discover that his cynicism was a bit of a mask to help a basically decent guy survive a brutal, harsh and violent galaxy. Learning how he created that mask wouldn't detract from his OT arc, but if done right, would actually add more to it.

So to sum it up, I'm actually kind of guardedly optimistic about a Han movie, but it'll just have to come down to execution.

 

I disagree. For every Daniel Craig there is a Pierce Brosnan. It may be easier to remember the success stories, but there are plenty of examples of recasting failures: Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau, Russel Brand as Arthur, Jason Momoa as Conan, Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates, and on and on.

Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to recast Han Solo and make it work, but there are plenty of historical examples to support the argument.

 

Recasting iconic characters is extremely hit or miss. A prime example of recasting is the new Terminator movie. It came in at #3 opening weekend and will likely be one of the biggest failures of 2015 after its hype. Another recasting is the upcoming Fantastic 4 which will be a colossal failure. Peter Parker has been rebooted twice in the past Decade! I'm not saying Han Solo cannot be recast because he most definitely can. But realize that there are recast failures and if not done right could seriously leave damage to the Star Wars franchise.

Keep in mind that the script to Episode VII had to be written completely fresh because Lucas's take didn't have the old characters enough. Rebels includes cameos from "old characters" and I'm sure we will see plenty of "old characters" in a Solo movie. I find it difficult to not have Lando or Jabba in this type of movie and I think that Bobba isn't out of the question.

You cannot compare these franchises at all. The Avengers takes place in one universe in a flowing timeline where they are taking place only years apart. The movies are also completely separate from all other media. Star Wars is an infinite universe and the "canon" under all media is being combined.

Being conservative is smart. But it comes with a price of being unoriginal and tiresome. Marvel can put out multiple movies a year because their universe is so diverse and they keep adding new characters and creating stories on new characters. You also have to realize that the Marvel universe started with a clean slate. With Star Wars, there are 6 movies already in place. If you count, there will be 10 movies with Storm Troopers/clones, 7 with anakin/vader + 1 with burnt-to-a crisp Vader, 5 with Rebels, 3 with resistance.

If Disney does not keep things fresh and make bold changes, things will get old fast. What I'm saying is they can't wait for 6 more movies to be radical.

 

Granted, the odds aren't exactly in our favor, but I have a hunch that they'll make the right choice. That said, I'm also preemptively feeling a little sorry for the actor they pick to play young Han. It's at once the greatest chance of a young actor's career, but he will also have the unenviable position of playing someone so ingrained in our collective minds. It doesn't matter if they find the finest, most talented actor in the land or somehow find a way to bring 21-year-old Harrison back through time, whoever they pick will undoubtedly get gobs of sticky, green-black bile hurled rapid-fire in his direction (at least initially)--this is the Internet after all.

In an effort to save myself any anxiety over the possibilities, I'm willing to give the producers/director/casing folks the benefit of the doubt.

 

Pulled this from the casting thread to put here:

@Alderaan

Perhaps, and I do agree with you as a fan, but not as much of a slam dunk. When you are putting a couple of hundred million dollars on the line you want to make sure you are selling a product that will have as wide of an audience as possible.

This is the Star Wars universe, and while it is a whole galaxy, you sell what sells. Marvel pulled off a good backstory with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. They are just going back to the well with the Han story.

The hardcore fans are what keeps the legend alive, but not the ones who pay the bills.

A real world example comes from the ski business. The locals who are on the mountain 6-7 days a week add that authenticity and flair to the place, give it its' credibility so to speak. Of course they are also the ones who know exactly how the business should be run and if "The Man would just listen this place would be so much better." Yeah, that's me and you complaining about Darth Mickey's decision making.

The reality is that they bring in a tiny fraction of the revenue and if things were run they way they wanted, no one would have a job and there wouldn't be a lift running for anyone to use. The twenty-something with a beat up Toyota, hanging out in the halfpipe with duct tape on his pants doesn't pay the bills. The bills are paid by the upper middle class mom who takes her 3 kids to the mountain, takes lessons, rents equipment, shops in the retail store, and buys all of their meals in the lodge...she pays the bills and you market to her. The locals in the halfpipe are just free ambiance for the owners so that the kids pressure mom to go skiing instead of going to the beach.

The Han story will be fun, there is a lot of material to explore, it can be a vehicle to introduce new characters for other spinoffs in the years to come, and Disney will profit handsomely. It is actually a pretty easy executive decision, there is no way that a Han story will lose money. This isn't just a business, it is a very big business where fortunes that are greater than the GDP of many island nations are won and lost every year.

Disney forked over 4 BILLION dollars, that's $4,000,000,000, FOUR THOUSAND MILLION, a huge pile of dough, etc. to get their hands on the rights to make even more money. You can be darned sure they intend to make all of that back and then plenty more.

Okay, rant over

 

I can't imagine anyone would argue that it doesn't make financial sense to make a Han Solo movie. The troublesome part is that putting financing over the creative side doesn't generally lead to better movies. It's one thing if they are making a Han Solo movie because someone came up with a great idea (as was reportedly the case with Rogue One), it quite another if they decided they needed a Han Solo movie and then went about trying to come up with an idea for it. Obviously, we have no way of knowing which it is, but the second scenario could have dire consequences for the franchise going forward.

I do worry about recasting Han Solo. but it's not the only reason I wish they had made a different choice.

I think continuing to place the Anthology films in the OT era takes away from the forward momentum of the ST. It makes it appear as though that original era is still the part of the saga that matters the most, which is in turn deflating to Episodes 7-9.

I'm also not a fan of having movies where the tension is lessened by having known outcomes. It's part (but just part) of why I think the PT didn't work. It's harder to achieve a real sense of jeopardy when the audience knows how everything will turn out in the end.

I like what Disney has done with the Marvel movies. I think the way they are intertwined makes for a dynamic overall dramatic narrative, and I do wish that Star Wars had followed that pattern. But that's not to say there aren't pitfalls in taking that route either. At least we know this new Han Solo movie won't be sidetracked trying to set up three other movies that are coming down the pipe.

I'm not saying I won't see it, or that it can't be good. I'm just not excited by the concept. If they're going to release a new Star Wars movie every year, the odds are that there will be a disappointment here and there, and Han Solo movie with a new actor in the title role would seem to have good chance of being the first.

 

I dont think thats the mentality at all. I think the mentality is "I just paid 4 billion dollars for this franchise." We're getting an original film, Rogue One. We didnt buy this IP, they did. Not letting them make a Solo film would be like telling Marvel it cant make an Iron Man film. Heck, I'm impressed they rolled with Rogue One BEFORE they made a Solo/Fett film.

 

I am in full agreement on lessening the emotional impact of a prequel film.

In retrospect, this is going to be either a brilliant move by Disney, or it will be an unmitigated disaster. I don't think the fan base and public at large will just be "meh" about it.

I actually understand why the first standalones are mining the past relative to the ST. The ST isn't completely fleshed out yet and they can't paint themselves into a corner, AFTER the ST is wrapped up, we will start seeing movies set in the "current" era, plus maybe some set far back in the Old Republic once the Skywalker Saga is complete.

 

If young Han shouts, "Wizard!" I'm....

 

Good Lord this thread is depressing!!!

I completely grant that Disney might screw this up but the level of hate just at the idea is over the top illogical.

We all get that Disney wants money but they make money by telling great stories. So making this simply a money decision might be a little cynical. I for one am thrilled about this idea. Seeing a young Han could be done well (it could be screwed up too). Other than the films themselves there is very little of the period between period between ROTS and ANH other than Rebels that is still Canon. I would love absolutely love to see young Han. How he got so jaded, How he and Chewie met. How he got the Falcon, did he cheat. Why does he have a wife kicking around out there.

 

I'll try smuggling that's a cool trick!


With a re-cast iconic role like Han Solo I will probably be sitting there for the whole movie saying either "yeah that was like Harrison/Han" "He's not too bad as Han Solo" "Han wouldn't do/say something like that." Basically sizing up the actor to see if he fits which will in effect keep me from getting into the movie.

For example, Ewan did a great job as Obi for the most part. However I still find myself comparing Alec to Ewan as I watch the originals. Like my mind is trying to merge the 2 actors together so it is nice and neat but it will never be. Re-casting Obi doesn't bother me that much because he wasn't as big a character as Han and to see him in his prime was something I actually was interested in.

I will reiterate that I'm not dead set against the movie and sharpening my pitch fork. It could be all good in the end. We'll see.

 

I'm sorry, it is not HATE. It is disagreement. Some of us don't like and don't need the background of an iconic character. We want the mistery behind. We don' t like the idea that a young nobody will pretend to be Han Solo. It is no need of that. The Solo we all love is Harrison Ford. Digging in the past can bring more harm than good. It could change the view to worse. We also hope for new characters, new stories, perhaps in different time period....where do you see HATE here? What you call hate I' d call fear.

 

Ideas can be hated. I did not think people were the object of the hate. Except maybe the charge that no true fan would want this, that wasn't you though. I know that people aren't necessarily the target. I am just reading rant after rant about "Darth Disney."

I like characters with mystery too. I just also think that a Han Solo story could work and be great its not necessarily a grand money grabbing failure. Especially when the character has so much story to be told. He drops into to ANH reeking of past adventure. Seriously its enough to do a whole Live Action Series.