Young Han Solo Search Narrows to Final Shortlist of Actors
‘Hollywood Reporter’ names (left to right) Alden Ehrenreich, Jack Reynor, and Taron Egerton as among finalists to follow in footsteps of Harrison Ford as beloved ‘Star Wars’ character (Photos: Getty Images)
By Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter
Chewie, we’re almost home.
The search for the young actor who will fill Han Solo’s leather vest could be in its final stages as multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that a final shortlist quietly has emerged.
According to sources, tests were conducted in London last weekend that involved actors Alden Ehrenreich, who did scene-stealing work in Hail, Caesar!, Jack Reynor, best known for his work in Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Taron Egerton, the star of The Kingsman and Eddie the Eagle.
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Sources say there could be a few other names on the list, though due to the high level of secrecy on all Star Wars projects, it’s hard to ascertain them. Disney declined to comment.
Those that tested – and it’s unclear if these were costume tests or screen tests – were plucked from a previous group of around 10 actors who met with the directors. Among the names whispered to have met include Miles Teller, the Whiplash star who also appears in the Divergent movies; Ansel Elgort, the Fault in Our Stars star who, too, appears in the Divergent movies.
Emory Cohen, who played Saoirse Ronan’s love interest in the Oscar-nominated Brooklyn, also tested. Actors from Richard Linklater’s new movie Everybody Wants Some also had meetings, according to sources.
Related: After 'The Force Awakens,’ Where Does 'Star Wars’ Go Next? (Spoilers)
Disney and Lucasfilm have searched from Alderaan to Yavin in their search for the new star, with sources saying that more than 2,500 actors have either met or put themselves on tape, becoming part of one of the widest casting calls ever.
As THR reported in December, Disney cast a wide net to find the right actor to play a younger version of the character made famous by Harrison Ford in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope, as well as The Empire Strikes Back,Return of the Jedi and 2015’s The Force Awakens.
The character will debut in a Star Wars spin-off film being made by Disney, Lucasfilm and filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) and scheduled for 2018.
Ford’s swaggering Solo is considered a standout character of the seven-film Star Wars series. The 73-year-old actor’s appearance as Solo in The Force Awakens was a major factor in the movie’s critical and commercial success.
Watch: The extended search for Young Han Solo:
