Lawrence Kasdan speaks on casting a young Han Solo

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

As impossible as it seems to replace Harrison Ford in the role of Han Solo, we're about to be faced with a brand new actor taking on the mantle of the galaxy's most lovable scoundrel. After ROGUE ONE, the next Star Wars spin-off film will focus on a young Han Solo and so far over 2500 actors have already put their names in the ring for the chance to embody the young smuggler. The film, which is to be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, will be scripted by STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. The scribe spoke with Vulture recently and while Kasdan said that casting the role was "a really tough challenge," he did reveal that they aren't looking for Harrison Ford's exact duplicate.

You want someone who isn’t going to be exactly like Harrison, you want someone who suggests him, it’s like when you adapt a book, and I’ve adapted a couple: You don’t want to adapt it word for word, you want the essence to come through. With Harrison, though, it’s not easy to find someone with those kinds of qualities. He’s like Spencer Tracy, and what does a young Spencer Tracy look like?

I can't possibly imagine who will end up with the gig, but if you've got a suggestion for who could play the young Han Solo, please make sure to check out the latest installment of Cast This! in order to cast your vote. Much about the upcoming STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS has been kept secret and that's nothing new in the world of Star Wars films, but Lawrence Kasdan commented that past Star Wars secrets, such as Luke's true parentage, would likely have been spoiled on the internet almost immediately had the original trilogy been released today.

Everything is different, and I don’t even think of it so much as Twitter as it is the beast of the internet, the big thing is that you used to put out a trailer, and people would only see it if they went to the right movie. Now, you put out a picture and the entire world has it in five minutes! You put out a trailer, and there are 80 million views! A rumor or a spoiler can have 200 million views. That didn’t exist in the past.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS opens on December 18, 2015. That's this Friday, which is insane.