At long last,Ron Howard’sSolo: A Star Wars Storyis starting to come together, as revealed by the recently releasednew trailerandhi-res imagesthat accompanied it. And it arrived just in the nick of time since all we’ve had since the previously releasedteaser trailerwas thisDenny’s tie-in commercial… Oh and the Disney/Lucasfilm anthology story is slated to premiere at Cannes on May 15th before its wide release on May 25th, so it’s probably a safe bet that we’ll start seeing more from Han Solo’s story in the run-up.
For now, however, the new trailer has provided us with more insight to the film’s actual plot since the official synopsis is a bit thin. We’ve revisited the trailer on a frame-by-frame basis to snag looks at new and returning characters, the exotic locales they’re visiting in this film, and to get a handle on all the action-packed shenanigans they’re about to get up to. (Thanks toIGNfor a little extra insight on that front.)
StarringAlden Ehrenreich,Woody Harrelson,Emilia Clarke,Phoebe Waller-Bridge,Joonas Suotamo,Thandie Newton, andPaul Bettany,Solo: A Star Wars Storyarrives in just over a month. In the meantime, here’s everything we know so far.
Here’s the official synopsis forSolo: A Star Wars Story:
Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a seres of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of theStar Warssaga’s most unlikely heroes.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
One of the easiest ways to keep track of the out-of-order events in any trailer, but especially the planet-hoppingStar Warsstories, is to keep an eye on the settings. While it’s certainly possible that Solo and his crew will be jumping around from planet to planet throughout the movie, we can at least pin down the likely locations and what we can expect to transpire there. First up …
The industrial-looking, somewhat dilapidated planet that this trailer introduces us to is Corellia, capital planet of the system by the same name, birthplace of the pioneering starship-building industry, and home to Han Solo himself. It also happens to be the birthplace of Imperial Star Destroyers, like the one being constructed in the first image aabove
This desert-meets-beach planet … yeah, we’re not too sure. But! It appears to be both the meeting place of Solo and Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett, as well as a potential site of conflict between Solo and a group of pirates the factor into the story. The recent trailer also showed Chewbacca (carrying some heavy luggage) striding along with Solo and Clarke’s Qi’Ra across the sandy expanse.
We’re feeling pretty confident that this snowy planet, and the site of the Conveyex heist, is Planet Vandor. now I’m not entirely sure if this is anewly created planet for the movieor a reworking of theexisting Vandor planetsin the Coruscant system. Either way, you can expect a big chunk of the film’s plot to center on this heist, as well as both the preparation for it and the fallout that results from its outcome.
This planet is also likely the site of the gigantic explosion captured in the trailer, perhaps after a heist gone right or spectacularly wrong. The gigantic mammoth skull, and the building it decorates, likely occurs here, too, owing to all the snow on the premises. (And those frigid temperatures make for some fantastic fashion accessories for all involved.)
Interestingly enough,Solowill actually take placebefore the events ofRogue One. And while that gives us little clue as to where this battle takes place or who’s involved in the skirmish (though the AT-ST walkers dropping into the frame make the Empire a safe bet), it does feel familiar to theRogue Onebattle scenes, both the ones that made it into the movie and ones revealed only in marketing material.
Though it’s not a planet at all, this space-based battle between an Imperial Star Destroyer and its TIE Fighter squadron, the Millennium Falcon, and a massive space creature looks to be a crowd-pleaser. Some serious effects work has gone into make this sequence a rather atmospheric one; fans of starfighter dogfights should be looking forward to this one.
The shot of the Millennium Falcon flying over this smoky, hazy planet might just reveal Kessel, strongly suggesting that we’ll see the famed Kessel Run. The planet is equally well known for its spice mines and the Empire’s slave labor–including Wookiees–used to work them.
New and Familiar Faces
Now that we’ve got the planetary settings down, let’s take a look at the new and familiar faces that appeared in this new trailer. Of course, there’s Solo front and center. What’s interesting here is that we see Beckett tossing Han a weapon that would become inseparable from the smuggler himself: His DL-44 blaster.
Then, of course, is Glover’s take on Lando Calrissian, a character that’s already found instant acceptance on the Internet. Part of that is certainly due to Glover’s swagger, but his fashion sense is equally admirable. In these scenes, we get to witness what’s likely a game of Sabacc, a card game in which, on one occasion, Solo famously won the Millennium Falcon from Lando. That fact did not sit well with Calrissian and it was a factor in him turning away from smuggling toward a pursuit of somewhat more legitimate business.
Clarke’s Qi’Ra is an old pal of Han’s, though both of them are hiding their true past beneath a bit of fancy dress-up. It remains to be seen just what her part to play in all of this is, but this trailer reveals her joining battle against … someone? Qi’Ra’s been described as “shadowy” and a femme fatale, so don’t be taken in by her beauty and charm. (Han’s totally going to be taken in by her beauty and charm, isn’t he?)
Somewhat more of a straight-shooter, at least as far as knowing that he’s probably going to double-cross you goes, is Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett. The character is a sort of mentor for young Solo but also serves as the rogue’s entry point into the world of smuggling. It looks like he gives Han his blessing–and his blaster–in this movie, but is word of warning about everyone betraying him is both incredibly sad and predictably prescient.
On Beckett’s team, or at least that’s the way it’s suggested in the trailer, is Val, Newton’s mysterious character who clearly knows her way around a blaster rifle and a grappling gun.
Another familiar face here is, of course, Chewbacca. But there are some wrinkles in his appearance here: He’s got double the usual number of bandoliers and there’s double the usual number of Wookiees on-screen. That’s right, Chewbacca has a partner! He/She hasn’t yet been named, but ifSolois sticking with theStar WarsHoliday special, it’s probably his wifeMallatobuck.
But Chewie also gets into some, pardon the pun, hairy situations. He not only drops what appears to be a Rebel soldier on his head, but also dangles from the rolling Conveyex train. Clearly he survives, but the fate of his mate remains to be seen…
Han’s not the only roguish character who gets a partner! MeetPhoebe Waller-Bridge‘s droid L3-37, a sidekick for Calrissian. The capable droid is introduced by man-handling a “mean man” in this trailer and also as Lando’s co-pilot for the Falcon. Will L3-37 be more of a K-2SO type of droid of something along the lines of BB-8? We’re banking on the former, butSolocould surprise!
Here’s a new look entirely! This is Enfys Nest, according toStar Wars News Net. Apparently this villainous pirate is also avillainesspirate, making her latest female, visored villain after Captain Phasma. Her gang, seen below, is known as the Cloud-Riders and crosses paths with Solo in this tale. However, don’t expect Enfys Nest to be the main antagonist–more on that below–but rather either a stumbling block to our heroes' plans or a future ally for the smug smuggler. Could be a cool reveal for audiences since we don’t yet know the actor playing the role, so keep your eyes peeled!
Equally interesting on the villain front is Bettany’s Dryden Vos, a crime lord who was originally supposed to be played byMichael Kenneth Williamsand would appear as a CG-creation. As you can see, Bettany sports a number of gnarly scars, but nothing that requires computerized make-up. We do, however, get a shot of his particular brand of weapon, a nasty knuckled blade with a laser-sharp edge that can slice through solid objects. It’s no lightsaber, but it’s no joke either.
All-Out Action
Now that we know the settings and the players of the game, let’s take a closer look at the action sequences.
Is this scene, above, going to be a quick way to introduce Han Solo’s gunslinging skills, or is it setting up more drama with the aforementioned Enfys Nest and her pirate gang? Your guess is as good as ours right now, but we dig the Western aesthetic.
We also dig this introductory scene when Han meets Lando for, presumably, the first time. It’s got a “Western hero just walked through the saloon door” kind of vibe.
A little less Western and a little more vintageStar Wars, we’ll also be treated to a “car-chase” sequence throughout the cluttered alleys of Corellia, with Han driving the getaway vehicle and Qi’Ra at his side.
The Conveyex scene, which promises to be the linchpin in the film, will be more than just a heist as this shoot-em-up against magnetic-booted troopers reveals.
There’s alotmore action on display in this trailer, which we’ve talked about above, including the space battle against the Empire (and a giant creature), the Kessel Run sequence, and plenty more.
What has you most excited about seeingSolo: A Star Wars Story? Is it the action, the character interactions, or how the film fits into the lore? Let us know in the comments!
