The Search Is On: 2,500 Actors Vie To Replace Harrison Ford As Han Solo In STAR WARS Prequel

We all know that a Young Han Solo movie is a bad idea. It’s going to happen, so you’d better make your peace with it. The Hollywood Reporter has…errr…reported that 2,500 actors have met with casting director Jeanne McCarthy or put themselves on tape for the lead role in the Star Wars spin-off. Apparently Disney and Lucasfilm are searching high and low – and pretty much seeing anyone who shows interest in replacing Harrison Ford as the iconic space pirate.

According to THR:

Actors who have read in person or auditioned via videotape range from the well-known (Dave Franco, 30, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 25, and Miles Teller, 28) to the sort-of-known (Jurassic World‘s Nick Robinson, 20) to relative unknowns (Kickin’ It‘s Leo Howard, 18, and The Purge‘s Tony Oller, 24) and also vary significantly in age. Though sources say the “sweet spot” seems to be the mid-20s, the ages of the contenders span from Chandler Riggs, the 16-year-old star of The Walking Dead, to Hunter Parrish, 28, and Mr. Robot star Rami Malek, 34.

Casting directors are not just focusing on American actors, either, considering Canadian Hemlock Grove star Landon Liboiron, 23, and English actors Ed Westwick, 28, Tom Felton, 28, and Joshua Sasse, 27, among many, many others.

Others who have thrown their hats in the ring include Fury’s Logan Lerman, 23, The Fault in Our Stars‘ Ansel Elgort, 21, and Transformers: Age of Extinction‘s Jack Reynor, 23, plus TV faces like Teen Wolf‘s Colton Haynes, 27, and Bates Motel‘s Max Thieriot, 27.

It’s time to mention Anthony Ingruber again.

The Young Han Solo movie (or whatever they end up calling it) directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan shoots in January 2017 for a May 25, 2018 release.