Solo: A Star Wars Story Official Trailer (2018) | Alden Ehrenreich | Woody Harrelson | Ron Howard - Upcoming Movies

Solo: A Star Wars Story, or simply Solo, is a 2018 American Space Western film about Han Solo, a character from the Star Wars franchise. The film is directed by Ron Howard and produced by Lucasfilm, from a screenplay by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the second of the Star Wars anthology films, following 2016's Rogue One. A stand-alone installment set prior to the events of A New Hope, it explores the adventures of a young Han Solo and Chewbacca, including meeting Lando Calrissian. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, alongside Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

Principal photography began in January 2017 at Pinewood Studios, under the direction of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The pair left the project in June 2017 after reportedly being fired over "creative differences" with Lucasfilm, and Howard took over directing duties. The film had its world premiere in Los Angeles on May 10, 2018, and also screened on May 15 at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, before its United States release date of May 25, 2018, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in RealD 3D and IMAX 3D. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the cast (particularly Ehrenreich and Glover), visuals and action scenes, although many criticized the pacing and noted the film added "nothing new" to the Star Wars franchise.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Details:

Directed by: Ron Howard

Produced by: Kathleen Kennedy

Allison Shearmur

Simon Emanuel

Screenplay by: Jonathan Kasdan

Lawrence Kasdan

Music by: John Powell

John Williams

Cinematography: Bradford Young

Edited by: Pietro Scalia

Production company: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios

Motion Pictures

Release date May 25, 2018 (United States)

Country: United States

Language: English

Movie Rating:3.5/5

Movie Review:

A young Han Solo meets his co-pilot Chewbacca & Lando Calrissian years before the events of ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’

Review: Origin stories are tricky enough as they come, but the challenge of making a film on a beloved anti-hero in one of the most revered movie franchises is a whole different task altogether. Add to the fact that ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ went through a lot of production woes, and even a die-hard fan would be right to ask – is the Force strong with this one? It’s crucial to ponder on these issues behind-the-scenes because they become glaringly apparent in the film’s pacing and tonality – the first casualties of an underwhelming storyline.

‘Solo’ jumps from one action setpiece to the next, with minimal character development. Sure, there are moments that spark some soul into the film, such as Han meeting Chewbacca for the first time, along with the very first glimpse of the fabled Millenium Falcon. But beyond obvious nostalgia-inducing bits, there is little else to cherish. This isn’t the fault of the cast, and yet, not much depth is added to the parts they play. Alden Ehrenreich is perfectly fine as Han Solo. It’s near impossible to replace the enigmatic Harrison Ford, but Ehrenreich does his own nuanced take on the lovable rogue. As does Donald Glover in his rendition of the charismatic Lando Calrissian. The characters played by Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Paul Bettany aren’t too memorable, but they serve their purpose within the story. Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra is arguably the most intriguing addition from this film to this folklore as she keeps you guessing about her motivations.

Admittedly, the last act makes up for its plodding initial 2/3rds with some potentially exciting developments. In the end, director Ron Howard manages to salvage the remnants of the production mess to a fair extent. While he plays it safe and loses some of the mythical Star Wars allure along the way, he succeeds in creating a decent sci-fi action film. ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ has enough action, CGI spectacle, and callbacks to satisfy both its old and new fans while barely justifying its addition to the franchise.

Premise:

Described as a space western, the film is centered on a young Han Solo and his adventures with his Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca, including their encounter with Lando Calrissian.

SoundTrack:

In July 2017, John Powell was announced as the main composer of the film's score. Longtime Star Wars composer John Williams contributed "The Adventures of Han" for the film. Powell revealed the track listing on his Instagram page. All music composed by John Powell, except where noted.