“Atlanta” star Donald Glover has been cast as Lando Calrissian in Lucasfilm’s upcoming “Star Wars” spinoff focusing on a young Han Solo.
TheWrap reported in August that the filmmakers were looking to cast a young Lando, a fan favorite and gambling enthusiast who appeared in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” for the film centered around Solo that’s currently in development. Billy Dee Williams played Lando in the original film, and he reprised the role in the “Star Wars Rebels” episodes “Idiot’s Array” and “Siege of Lothal.”
The upcoming and as-yet untitled film is set to take place before the first “Star Wars” film, “A New Hope.”
“Rogue One,” another “Star Wars” spinoff, is also set in that time period and is due to hit theaters in December. The Han Solo movie is scheduled to be released May 25, 2018.
Alden Ehrenreich was announced as young Han Solo at July’s Star Wars Celebration Convention in London.
The Han Solo film is being directed by “Lego Movie” and “Jump Street” team Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” Lord and Miller said in a statement announcing the casting. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”
Glover is currently the creator and star of the FX show “Atlanta.” He is represented by WME.
7 Actors Who Would Kill It As Lando in Young Han Solo Movie (Photos)
Of course the young Han Solo spinoff movie would have to include Lando Calrissian. What we don't know, however, is who's going to take on the role alongside Alden Ehrenreich's Han. Billy Dee Williams was 42 when he shot "The Empire Strikes Back," so we looked for actors younger than that to play Lando in his prequel days.
Nate Parker
After impressing in "Red Tails," "Non-Stop" and "Beyond the Lights," Nate Parker is about to rack up a pile of Oscar nominations for "The Birth of a Nation" -- which he wrote, directed and starred in. He's more than got the range to take on Lando.
Corey Hawkins
The "Straight Outta Compton" star is also about to become a household name as he takes over from Kiefer Sutherland on "24: Legacy." Hawkins has the sort of detached wariness you'd want to see from Lando in his earlier years.
Daveed Diggs
What better way for the Thomas Jefferson of "Hamilton" to transition to big screen stardom than by taking on Lando? He's definitely smooth enough to pull it off.
Marque Richardson
He broke out with lengthy runs on "True Blood" and "The Newsroom" and by landing a spot in "Dear White People." This would be a big step up, but "Star Wars" films love to catch rising stars, from Daisy Ridley to Jon Boyega.
A bona fide movie star, we think Michael B Jordan should be in everything. He's almost definitely too busy, especially with "Black Panther" coming up soon, but we can dream.
Keegan-Michael Key
The taller half of Key & Peele already played Lando once, in a sketch on their show. He's an offbeat choice, for sure, but the young Han Solo movie is coming from "Jump Street" directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller -- and in their hands, we think Key would work perfectly.
Ludacris
Almost no chance of this happening, and fans would definitely hate the idea, but the "Fast/Furious" star would fit Lando like a glove.
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Lando’s cape won’t fit just any actor, but these guys could slip into it quite comfortably
Of course the young Han Solo spinoff movie would have to include Lando Calrissian. What we don't know, however, is who's going to take on the role alongside Alden Ehrenreich's Han. Billy Dee Williams was 42 when he shot "The Empire Strikes Back," so we looked for actors younger than that to play Lando in his prequel days.
