Meet the New Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich

As reported back in May, actor Alden Ehrenreich will play Han Solo in the next A Star Wars Story film, which will delve into the pre-Rebellion backstory of everyone’s favorite scruffy nerf-herder.

John Boyega made a guest appearance at the Star Wars Celebration on Sunday when he gatecrashed the Future Filmmakers panel.

“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 when announcing the movie previous year. Clearly, the directors understand the character’s charm.

Miller added, “He’s a maverick, a scoundrel”.

The selection of the 26-year-old Ehrenreich to star in Disney’s DISN, -1.08% “Star Wars” spinoff movie focusing on the roguish smuggler’s early life was first leaked in May. Thousands of people auditioned for the role, but Lord and Miller revealed that Ehrenreich was actually the first one through the door in the casting room.

Alden Ehrenreich with Alice Englert in Beautiful Creatures. “Sorry Kathy – we wasted your money”, he joked, addressing producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who quipped in response that she would take it out of his salary. The duo called the actor “the best kept secret in Hollywood”.

ExtraTV.com as there as Ehrenreich told the crowd, “I auditioned for about 6 months”.

In preparation to direct the highly anticipated sequel, Johnson screened gritty 1949 WWII drama “Twelve O’Clock High” (“It became extremely important”) and Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1959 survival adventure “Letter Never Sent” plus classics like “The Bridge On The River Kwai”, “The Dambusters”, “Sahara” and “Gunga Din”.

The rising star sure has big boots to fill with Harrison Ford playing the original Han Solo. The panel where the announcements were made was streamed through StarWars.com. He said to Ehrenreich: “Man, you’re playing Han Solo”.