Lucasfilm yesterday confirmed that Woody Harrelson (War for the Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games) has joined the Han Solo movie, set to arrive in theaters next year. While promoting for his directorial debut Lost in London (an experiment in projecting a film live to theaters as it’s being filmed), the actor spoke to Mashable about the Han Solo movie and shed some light on his role in the much-anticipated Star Wars spin-off.
“I’m a mentor to Han, but I’m also a bit of a criminal,” said Harrelson. “I don’t think I’ll have a lot of make-up or anything. We’ll see how that look develops. I’m meeting with those guys tomorrow, the hair and make-up and stunts and everything. We’ll just have a little discussion about that.”
Harrelson, known for wide-ranging roles in film and TV such as The Hunger Games, No County for Old Men, True Detective, Cheers, and Zombieland, will join actors Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo), Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian), and Emilia Clarke in the adventure. This Star Wars Story is the second in a series of films that live outside the Skywalker family saga, and is set during the early scoundrel days of the iconic characters, prior to A New Hope.
“We couldn’t be more excited to work with an artist with as much depth and range as Woody,” said the film’s directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, The LEGO Movie). “His ability to find both humor and pathos, often in the same role, is truly unique. He is also very good at ping pong.”
The as-yet-untitled movie, which is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel, is scheduled for release in 2018.
