Woody Harrelson confirmed for new Han Solo Star Wars spin-off

Harrelson will star alongside Alden Ehrenreich as the titular character
Joining the force: Woody Harrelson will star in the upcoming spin-off
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty
Emma Powell11 January 2017
The Weekender

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Woody Harrelson has been confirmed to star in the upcoming Han Solo film.

Harrelson, 55, will head to a galaxy far far away when he joins the second Star Wars spin-off.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller described Harrelson as “unique” and joked they were excited to play ping pong with the actor on set.

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with an artist with as much depth and range as Woody,” they told Starwars.com in a statement.

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“His ability to find both humour and pathos, often in the same role, is truly unique. He is also very good at ping pong.”

Character details are still under wraps, but Harrelson is rumoured to be playing a mentor figure to Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo.

According to reports, the film will focus on Solo’s early days before he became involved with the rebel alliance.

Donald Glover will play a young Lando Calrissian in the film which will also star Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke.

Last year's Rogue One became the UK’s highest-grossing film of 2016, despite being released in December.

The Disney-produced film, starring Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed, made £52.7 million during the last 17 days of 2016, according to comScore.

The as of yet untitled film is slated for release in 2018.

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