“Sing Street” breakout Ian Kenny has joined the ensemble cast of the untitled “Star Wars” spin-off that revolves around the young Han Solo, TheWrap has learned.
Details on Kenny’s character haven’t yet been revealed by Lucasfilm. He played a bully in the aforementioned Golden Globe-nominated movie musical released last year by the Weinstein Co. Kenny also appears in the TV series “Fair City,” which airs in the UK.
Disney CEO Bob Iger shed a little more light on the upcoming young Han Solo movie at a USC event Thursday, providing details about the “Star Wars” universe film centered around the pilot iconically played by Harrison Ford.
In an interview with USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Dean Willow Bay — also Iger’s wife — in Santa Monica, he said the still-untitled film, scheduled for release on May 25, 2018, will cover Solo’s life from the ages of 18 to 24 and show him finding the Millennium Falcon, meeting Chewbacca and obtaining his name.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are directing the movie, which stars Alden Ehrenreich as the title character. The film also features “Atlanta” star Donald Glover, who plays Lando Calrissian, “Game of Thrones'” Emilia Clarke, “Westworld’s” Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Joonas Suotamo and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Kathleen Kennedy and Allison Shearmur are producing the spinoff film, which is currently under production with Ehrenreich stepping into the Millennium Falcon in a role that Harrison Ford originated.
Ian Kenny is repped by Untitled Entertainment and United Agents.
Variety first reported the news on Ian Kenny’s involvement.
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.