Star Wars: Is Alden Ehrenreich the New Han Solo?

You may not know his name yet, but if the latestStar Warsrumor turns out to be true, you will soon.Deadlineis reporting that Disney and Lucasfilm have finally narrowed down thecasting searchfor theirStar Wars Anthology: Han Solospinoff. Yes, after plowing through every name, big and small, in the Hollywood handbook, it sounds like they might have found their man.

And that man isAlden Ehrenreich. Who is he? The actor recently stole scenes in theCoenBrothers comedyHail, Caesar!He is said to have emerged as thefront runnerfor this sci-fi adventure. Though, it is said that the official casting has been shrouded in secrecy. And it isn’t known when Disney and LucasFilm will make this news official. Disney held itsCinemaConpresentation yesterday, where they showed off the first trailer forRogue One: A Star Wars Story. The studio remained quiet on everything else pertaining to the Star Wars franchise, especially in terms of future spinoffs.

Apparently, Lucasfilm and Disney are referring to theStar Wars Anthology: Han Solomovie under the code name Red Cup, after the popular Solo cups that are quite popular across all American campuses and other venues where kegs may appear. It’s a fun play on words, natch. A number of screen tests were said to be held, and only a handful of actors emerged as possible contenders from these. Included wereTaron Egerton, who will next headlineKingsman2andJack Reynor. Both actors are said to still be in contention, yet it isAlden Ehrenreichwho leads the pack, and is the odds on favorite. Of course, as we’ve seen in the past with this type of secretive casting, that can surely change.

Alden Ehrenreichis said to have delivered a convincing performance in his testing, nailing the mannerisms and character we associate withHarrison Ford’sHan Solo. Still a newcomer to Hollywood, the actor landed the lead inWarren Beatty’s untitledHoward Hughesproject, which is releasing this fall.

TheHan Solomovie is set for release on July 15, 2025. It is being directed by the team behindThe LEGO Movieand21 Jump Street,Phil LordandChristopher Miller. The story is said to focus on Han Solo and Chewbacca’s early days as smugglers, and will show the space pirate before he teamed up with Luke, Ben and two droids to save a Princess from the dreaded Darth Vader. Lucasfilm PresidentKathleen Kennedywill producer withLawrence Kasdanexecutive producing and co-writing the screenplay with his son Jon. At this time, Disney and LucasFilm refuse to comment.