Solo: A Star Wars Story

The next film from The Lego Movie duo won’t have a Piece of Resistance or Kragle, but it will have the Millennium Falcon and one of the Empire’s Most Wanted. Disney said today that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will direct a Star Wars anthology pic starring Han Solo, the smuggler-turned-hero from the original trilogy. Lawrence Kasdan — who wrote Star Wars pics The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi and the upcoming The Force Awakens — will script the new pic with his son Jon Kasdan, who wrote and helmed Sundance pic The First Time. Set for May 25, 2018, the pic will focus on Solo’s days before he linked up with the rebel alliance. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is producing. Lawrence Kasdan is exec producing with Jason McGatlin.

“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with,” the helmer duo said in a statement. “We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.”

Harrison Ford, of course, rose to intergalactic fame playing the cocky outlaw Solo in George Lucas’ first three Star Wars pictures and will reprise the role for this year’s saga-continuing The Force Awakens. The new spinoff film will focus on how Solo became the thieving rogue who offed bounty hunter Greedo before agreeing to smuggle Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the pair’s quest to help Princess Leia. (Any thoughts on who might play him, Deadliners?) No official word on whether Solo’s Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca will be along for this ride, but don’t bet your bandolier against it.

“It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo, and I’m excited to say we’ve found the perfect team to handle the task,” Kennedy said today. “Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story.”

If that May 25 release date sounds familiar, it’ll be 41 years to the day after Star Wars attacked theaters.