Han Solo blasts into Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ universe with own film

Reuters: Han Solo, the “Star Wars” space hero who always has a fast ship and a good blaster, will get his own stand-alone film, the Walt Disney Co said on Tuesday, directed by the “Lego Movie” film makers.

The untitled Han Solo project, slated for release on 25 May 2018, will be the second stand-alone “Star Wars” anthology film, following the release of “Rogue One” next year.

These films will explore a separate part of George Lucas’ intricate intergalactic universe and will intersperse the new trilogy of “Star Wars” movies kicking off with December’s highly anticipated “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

The new Han Solo film will focus on the origin story of the character made famous in the “Star Wars” films by actor Harrison Ford, who will reprise that role in “The Force Awakens.”

Solo was introduced in the original “Star Wars” film as a former smuggler who takes Luke Skywalker aboard his ship, the Millennium Falcon, and helps him escape Darth Vader.

Solo becomes the lovable scoundrel of the Rebel Alliance, fighting against the oppressive Galactic Empire along with his friend and co-pilot Chewbacca, a bear-like “wookie.”

“The story focuses on how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley,” Disney said in a statement.