CNN
(CNN) — With his roguish charm, the gallant scoundrel Han Solo has long been one of the favorite characters in the “Star Wars” universe.
Now fans will finally get to learn the smuggler-turned-hero’s backstory.
Disney announced Tuesday that Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the duo behind “The Lego Movie,” will direct a feature about Han Solo’s life before “Star Wars,” slated to hit theaters in 2018.
The as-yet untitled movie will be written by Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jon Kasdan. That screenwriting duo will probably satisfy the legions of devout “Star Wars” fans — the elder Kasdan co-wrote “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” in addition to J.J. Abrams’ upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” due in December.
No casting was announced, although social media speculation immediately centered on Chris Pratt, the ascendant star of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World.”
“Folks, let’s be honest: Chris Pratt isn’t just the best person to play Han Solo; he IS Han Solo. There is Chris Pratt … and everyone else,” tweeted blogger Charles Clymer.
Other fans were more ambivalent.
“I really don’t know how I feel about this. No one can be Han Solo except Harrison Ford,” said Casey Calvert on Twitter.
Disney said the movie’s story will explore how young Han Solo became the smuggler and thief whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley.
“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with,” said Miller and Lord in a statement released by Disney. “We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us.”
The movie will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, whose list of credits include “E.T.,” “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
It’s scheduled for a May 25, 2018, release.
“The Lego Movie” was a critical and commercial hit, earning more than $468 million worldwide at the box office.
“This is a dream come true for us,” Miller and Lord said. “And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.