[Archon Revuge]

StarWars.com has just posted an announcement that the next Star Wars anthology film will be a Han Solo origin tale. The film will be directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (The LEGO Movie) and written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan.

Awesome!

[MattG]

The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan.

[farmboynz]

sounds interesting, wonder who they will use as a young han solo?

[Reverend Strone]

Gotta say, this is the first announcement of new SW media that I’m not jumping with excitement about. Maybe I am being too conservative and should lighten up? I don’t know. I just wonder if this a story we need to be shown or is it cooler leaving Han’s younger years and his meeting with Chewie (which surely this must feature) mysterious? Is there the risk we could be overexposing Han a bit? It’s a huge universe and there are so many stories we could explore. Kasdan’s involvement lends reason for optimism, but they could still mess it up. I’d almost rather they went with an animated tv show and told some stories akin to the Brian Daly novels about Han’s early smuggling career than recast such an iconic character in a live action feature. A switch to animation and shorter stories might at least make the recasting more easily digested and allow them to strike a different tone with it, but a live-action feature film? I don’t know. I’m a little wary of this one possibly being a misstep.

Anyhow, initial doubts and reservations aside, it also has the potential for awesomeness, so I’m hopeful.

[Archon Revuge]

...I just wonder if this a story we need to be shown or is it cooler leaving Han’s younger years and his meeting with Chewie (which surely this must feature) mysterious? Is there the risk we could be overexposing Han a bit?

With Han being my favourite SW character, I'm genuinely excited about this film. That being said, I share exactly the same concern as you Strone. I guess it's all going to come down to the execution. If told in the right spirit, this could be the opportunity to present a really fun tale that adds further depth to of one of the world's most lovable rogues. I can't help but think of the first 20 minutes of The Last Crusade and imagine how great it'd be to get a similar treatment for Solo.

The involvement of the Kasdan duo is what's keeping me hopeful. I'm not as familiar with Miller and Lord, but The Lego Movie had a lot of heart, and was a great deal of fun - and those are two qualities that I hope the Solo film would have in spades.

[MattG]

I agree with the general hesitancy about the balance between over-exposure vs mystery that must be considered with any of the character prequel/origin stories, but Han's youth and meeting with Chewbacca is covered in a lot of detail in AC Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy (now Legacy content). This movie might be an opportunity to clean that all up a bit (some minor details in that series clashed with later Clone Wars chronology, and arguably they covered material that left no mystery to Han's backstory).

Personally, as much as it may be an unpopular opinion, I am much more pleased with this announcement than with the rumours that we'd be getting a Boba Fett-centric anthology installment.

[Anaria]

Awesome!!

I'm seeing a few reactions referencing River Phoenix as Young Indy or Ewan McGregor as young Obi-Wan - casting a younger version of a well-loved character can be done successfully. I wasn't that interested about rumours of a Boba Fett stand-alone film, so I can understand any choice of character for the anthology films will have some excited and some not. Personally, I can't wait to find out more!

[Archon Revuge]

Personally, as much as it may be an unpopular opinion, I am much more pleased with this announcement than with the rumours that we'd be getting a Boba Fett-centric anthology installment.

It had slipped my mind until today - but about a year ago Star Wars Union posted a purported list of the working titles of the three spin-off films that had allegedly been leaked at a Hasbro training meeting. Those titles were:
Red Five, Solo, and Boba Fett The first of these is strikingly similar to what would eventually be titled Rogue One, and the second seems to have been confirmed today. I wonder if that lends any veracity to the third? Of course, the release dates on this "leak" were all wrong - so there's every chance it was a false rumour that just got lucky. Probably best to keep the grains of salt handy.

[Reverend Strone]

Reckon you might be onto something there, Arc.

I don't want to seem like I'm all doom and gloom on this one, either, just a little hesitant. I'm looking forward to finding out more.

[r2d2]

I do have some doubts about these spin off movies, although i agree there is huge potential for awesomeness, so i'll just have to wait and see.