Harrison Ford Is A Secret Advisor For ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’
When directors recast an iconic role, it is sporadic for new actors to talk to their predecessors. It is not the case for Alden Ehrenreich, however.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Ehrenreich received numerous pointers from screen legend Harrison Ford. While Ford was a specter throughout Solo: A Star Wars Story production process, the Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark actor provided an impeccable guide for Ehrenreich as the duo met in January 2017. The two discussed the best approach to tackle the beloved space pilot and the captain of the Millennium Falcon in the Star Wars saga.
Ford wanted Ehrenreich to keep the advice secret and not to leak it to the press. As Ehrenreich left, the Air Force One actor contacted his longtime friend and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and praised the young actor. In turn, Kennedy gave Ford a copy of the Solo: A Star Wars Story screenplay and the silver screen' icon gave the company his blessings.
"I think being who is Harrison is, there is no way he would step into the middle of this and start trying to dictate," Kennedy told Entertainment Weekly.
Ron Howard Seeks Harrison Ford's Advice
Another member of the Solo: A Star Wars Story family that sought out Ford was director Ron Howard. The film director came to Ford after he was hired to clean up the mess that former directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller left behind. He relied on Ford's advice in regard to bringing Solo's younger years to the silver screen.
Before Howard came on board as director, the dysfunctional duo made Ehrenreich to second guess himself and got into heated arguments with the film's screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan. Kasdan wrote two crucial stories in the Star Wars mythology: The Empire Strikes Back and the fan-favorite The Force Awakens.
"Harrison's a very thoughtful actor and an artist, I wanted to know what he learned about the character," Howard told the EW. "He said that Han is always torn between that sense that he was, in a way, an orphan, and therefore both yearned for connection with people and struggled with it at the same time, I thought it was interesting."
The 'Star Wars' Update
Ford's secret involvement with the production comes after an exciting week for the science-fiction franchise. Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. announced that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would be building a new Star Wars universe on the big screen.
Meanwhile, Solo: A Star Wars Story dropped its official trailer on Good Morning America. The spin-off film will hit the theatres worldwide on May 25.
Enstars reached out to Lucasfilm Ltd. for a quote.
