Join: October 31st 2003 7:00 am Posts: 605 Location: Michigan
I just know whoever is getting cast for this part, is going to catch a fair amount of shit from the internet. I hope the guy does well.
Having said that, I also question the necessity of a Han Solo-centered story. The guts of the story are going to be very interesting to discover. I am all-in on Rogue One, because of its obvious ties to the saga films and the way it appears interwoven with the story we all know. How will this Han Solo film work in that manner? I'd like to think Star Wars is better than "let's make a movie for the sake of making a movie and let's pander to the fanbase." Could this movie be called a "Han Solo film" but really be more about Boba Fett's rise to prominence, and Han Solo is "second-billing"? That, I'm on board for. Turn this on its head a bit and make Solo an antagonistic character while making Fett the "hero" within the context of the story. That would make this infinitely more interesting.
As close as Ingruber looks to Ford, I can't see what's basically a novel impersonation carrying an entire film.
Yet you can see someone who doesn't look or sound like Harrison Ford carrying an entire HAN SOLO film? Han Solo is too much of an iconic character to just cast anyone, I have to believe that I'm really watching a young Han Solo from the moment he appears on screen and speaks, but I can't see how that's going to happen with Alden Ehrenreich whereas it's basically already happened with Anthony Ingruber. Watch that clip again, sure he's not actually playing Han Solo in that but I instantly bought him as a young Harrison Ford in a second. In fact if I didn't know about him already I would have thought that maybe they were just using CGI (like the young Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War) and he was dubbed over by Harrison putting on a younger voice.
And this isn't like Obi Wan where we'd only ever seen a 57 year old Obi Wan (although looking well into his 60s) before the prequels so a 25 to 38 year old Obi Wan didn't need to look and sound 100% like a young Alec Guiness to work, we've already seen a relatively young Harrison Ford in A New Hope so having the same character being not that much younger yet looking and sounding quite different is going to be very jarring and affect the suspension of disbelief. By not casting Anthony Ingruber, or another look & soundalike if there is one, Disney's Lucasfilm is killing Han Solo all over again!
Guinness turned 62 while filming ANH, he was within 5 years of Kenobi canon age, his hair was naturally grey/white, and he wore a hairpiece. They didn't really age him up with make-up, if you look for photos of him 5 years prior to 1976 he didn't really look any younger.
As for this movie, I am not excited about it, especially now. If Anthony was not good enough for the role, I would rather them send him to acting school for a year and see if they can get him good enough, and delay the movie. Physical likeness in this role is very important. Yes, whoever they get will never be Ford, but I'd rather him be closer to looking and being like Ford than further away. It's not like James Bond.
Ingruber was roughly the same height as Ford. Alden being shorter is the least of my worries because if they can make 5'9" Tom Hardy look 6'5" as Bane they could make anyone 5'8", 3 or 4 inches taller. It's not like we have a measuring stick on film anyway. Chewie always towers over everyone.
I don't care too much about physical likeness. So long as the essential swagger and Solo-ness are there or whatever it is they decide to show that plays into the character we all know and love.
If I'm willing to accept a wide variety of actors playing historical figures they look nothing like, I can accept this. A sizable dose of suspension of disbelief is in order for me if required because I like to think of myself as a big picture kinda guy and not one to get hung up about minor continuity issues like this.
Guinness turned 62 while filming ANH, he was within 5 years of Kenobi canon age, his hair was naturally grey/white, and he wore a hairpiece. They didn't really age him up with make-up, if you look for photos of him 5 years prior to 1976 he didn't really look any younger.
As for this movie, I am not excited about it, especially now. If Anthony was not good enough for the role, I would rather them send him to acting school for a year and see if they can get him good enough, and delay the movie. Physical likeness in this role is very important. Yes, whoever they get will never be Ford, but I'd rather him be closer to looking and being like Ford than further away. It's not like James Bond.
Ingruber was roughly the same height as Ford. Alden being shorter is the least of my worries because if they can make 5'9" Tom Hardy look 6'5" as Bane they could make anyone 5'8", 3 or 4 inches taller. It's not like we have a measuring stick on film anyway. Chewie always towers over everyone.
Huh? I was referring to Ewan McGregor not looking much like Alec Guinness, although they did a good job with the make-up in ROTS to make him look a little more like him. As for Alden Ehrenreich's hight, it's not just his hight he looks too weedy. Sure, he could bulk up but Han Solo isn't really bulked up, he's just average size for his height. I really don't understand why Lucasfilm picked him. If they thought that Anthony Ingruber wasn't experienced enough then they should still have picked someone that resembled Harrison Ford more. The best alternative I can think of is Ryan Merriman. He's an experienced actor and has been in a couple of big movies and he was even in the movie 42 with Harrison Ford! (Not playing a young Harrison Ford though, just one of the baseballers.) I actually thought he could have made a good teenage Han Solo for ROTS at the time. Here's a video of a teenage Ryan Merriman along with his audition tape for Chicago Fire from a couple of years ago.
They probably don't want to make any announcements about casting when they're still gearing up for Rogue One and Episode 8. People are easily confused. There are already some dimwits out there who think the next movie is Star Wars Episode VIII - A Rogue One Story.
Join: April 3rd 2011 5:29 am Posts: 182 Location: Andorra
Bandersnatch wrote:
And he looks like a faggy James Dean.
Sorry snatch, but James Dean WAS gay ... ;-)
And Alden’s GF is Kelsey McNamee ... so they say.
So maybe Dean was a faggy Ehrenreich? LOL
IMHO, it's not the face that makes Han Solo, it's the attitude. With good writers, a good director and great acting nobody will give a damn if he looks like a clone of Ford. Right?
Join: October 31st 2003 7:00 am Posts: 605 Location: Michigan
Well that rules out Disney cramming it into the already-crowded time frame between ANH and ESB.
....right?
But there is plenty of fertile ground pre-ANH for Han Solo to run around in that would have nothing to do with the known canon. If this is going to be a trilogy, I really hope plans for other, more distinct anthology films aren't scrubbed. I'd like to see more of a variety in terms of characters and era in which those stories take place.
Disney: Let's focus on making one good Solo film before you start spending money on another one or two.
The quote below makes me cringe. The "source" is a development dude or dudette with Star Wars blinders.
"‘There is a real sense of excitement around the Han Solo movie and its potential. Given that Han’s early adventures do not need to be tied to the Empire, it leaves story lines open with the opportunity to really give fans something different. They can explore new galaxies and crazy creatures and bring in a wide array of new characters." The legacy books, comics, video games, and animated projects have all been cranking out "something different" for years. I hope these "new" galaxies, creatures, and characters aren't watered-down mishmashes of existing material.
Maybe I'm not a target audience member for these Solo movies?
Title: Lover of ALL SW
Join: October 8th 2014 9:20 am Posts: 176 Location: Germany
I would rather see a Kenobi Movie beeing made set between III And IV. The Solo Movie (Series) feels like more catering to the OT purists who dreamed of beeing Han in their childhood.
Title: Lover of ALL SW
Join: October 8th 2014 9:20 am Posts: 176 Location: Germany
E_CHU_TA! wrote:
I vote for more Kenobi as well. But, Disney wants fresher younger stars for a new audience base.
Funny: Social Media comments mostly are against this Solo Movie And demand a Kenobi Film. Guess the recasting of a Fan Favorite is not taken as well as LFL thought.
Star Wars Episode VIII - A Rogue One Story. 
Sorry snatch, but James Dean WAS gay ... ;-)
