It's official! After months of speculation and rumors, Woody Harrelson has officially joined the cast of the upcoming Han Solo film. Although confirmed via the official Star Wars website, the announcement didn't divulge who exactly Harrelson would be playing. It did however include a statement from the film's directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
“We couldn’t be more excited to work with an artist with as much depth and range as Woody. His ability to find both humor and pathos, often in the same role, is truly unique. He is also very good at ping pong,” Lord and Miller said.
Scoop previously shared reports speculating Harrelson's role to serve as a mentor to the young smuggler. A role familiar to Harrelson, as he oversaw Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and served as confidant to Nadine in The Edge of Seventeen. His extensive list of credits also includes True Detective, LBJ, Now You See Me, Cheers, No Country for Old Men, Zombieland, 2012, and many more.
Similar to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the untitled film will be an anthology set outside of the main franchise's storyline, set to follow the adventures of Han Solo in the period before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) has been cast in the titular role of Han Solo, alongside Donald Glover (Atlanta) as Lando Calrissian. In addition to Harrelson, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) has also signed on for a role in the film.
Adapted from a script by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, the Han Solo film is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2018.