The upcoming “Star Wars” standalone film about young Han Solo almost had a major meeting of fans: those in love with the franchise, and those in love with Harry Styles.
The pop star, formerly of the boy band One Direction, hinted that he read for the part that wound up in the hands of “Hail, Caesar!” star Alden Ehrenreich.
Styles appeared this weekend as a guest of popular UK chat show host Graham Norton, where the men played a game called Dead Pan. It required a tight close up of Styles’ face as Norton read various tabloid headlines written about him throughout his career, and Styles’ reaction would indicate if the stories were true or false.
“You auditioned to be the new Han Solo,” Norton lobbed at Styles, who smirked and raised his eyebrows over the suggestion. Other guests on Norton’s couch took that to mean he, indeed, read for the part. Styles neither confirmed nor denied.
What TheWrap can tell you is that it’s beyond possible that Styles got in front of executives for Lucasfilm and Disney, if not directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller themselves. Styles is repped theatrically by Alex Mebed of CAA, who has a client in the “Star Wars” family — Riz Ahmed.
Styles also had enough chops to merit inclusion in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming WWII epic “Dunkirk,” which Warner Bros. will roll out in July.
For now, Harry will stick with his day job. His self-titled debut solo album hits May 12. The untitled Han Solo film is currently in production and set for release on May 25, 2018. It costars Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson.
5 Reasons Alden Ehrenreich Is Perfect for the Young Han Solo 'Star Wars' Movie (Photos)
If your reaction to the news that Alden Ehrenreich has been cast as Han Solo in the standalone "Star Wars" prequel was "who's that?" then I've got some good news for you. If anybody can pull off the incredibly tall task, Ehrenreich in the care of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller has a good chance. See the five pieces of evidence.
Getty Images
1. This picture Ehrenreich pretty much has the vibe and the look right here. Jaded, beaten down by the world, but also stern and ready for a fight at any moment. I wouldn't be surprised if his people chose this as his main photo on IMDB because it feels so right for Han Solo.
IMDB
2. He's pretty much already done a young Han Solo movie "Beautiful Creatures" is a young adult movie about witches, in which Alden plays a cynical teenager who stumbles into that secret magical world and masks his earnestness with disarming humor before turning into a sincere idealist by the end. That's pretty much exactly Han Solo. And Alden is great in "Beautiful Creatures," by the way.
Warner Bros
3. His oblivious and sincere performance in "Hail Caesar!" Alden's Hobie Doyle is hardly a Han Solo analogue in the Coen Brothers' comedy but Hobie does go through an evolution that is similar to that which we have to imagine a young Han Solo movie could follow. Specifically, he is a kid who came from nothing to become a movie star, and he's enjoying the good life until he gets caught up in studio machinations and the weird conspiracy at the heart of the movie.
Universal
4. He's got the comedy chops Young Han Solo has to be funny, but in a wry kind of way. "Beautiful Creatures" shows that off directly, but his "Hail Caesar!" performance demonstrates that ability differently because it's all deadpan delivery -- like when he glances directly into the camera in this shot.
Universal
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller Anyone this pair would have chosen would be perfect. Just in case you had some deeper fear, you shouldn't worry. Lord/Miller can do no wrong. They could cast, say, Ted Cruz as young Han Solo and it would still probably be a pretty good movie. Remember when everybody thought their "Jump Street" (pictured) movie with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum was a terrible idea?
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Replacing Harrison Ford is hard, but the ”Hail, Caesar!“ star could be the man you’re looking for
If your reaction to the news that Alden Ehrenreich has been cast as Han Solo in the standalone "Star Wars" prequel was "who's that?" then I've got some good news for you. If anybody can pull off the incredibly tall task, Ehrenreich in the care of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller has a good chance. See the five pieces of evidence.
Getty Images
IMDB
