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Back in August rumours circulated that actor/writer/director/musician Donald Glover was in talks to portray the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars anthology movie. It was presumed that Glover would be unable to be involved with the project due to prior commitments and scheduling conflicts with the TV series Atlanta which he created and stars in. However Lucasfilm and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have since done more screen-tests for both the role of Lando and an unspecified female character. Now Lucasfilm have officially announced that Glover has been confirmed as Lando.
Lucasfilm have stated on their official website;
Donald Glover, an acclaimed actor, award-winning writer, and Grammy-nominated artist, will be playing the part of Lando Calrissian in the still-untitled Han Solo Star Wars film, helmed by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Glover will join Alden Ehrenreich — previously cast as Han Solo — in bringing two iconic Star Wars characters back to the big screen, but at a time in their lives previously unexplored. This new film depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld — years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.
Originally portrayed by actor Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Lando Calrissian very quickly became a fan-favourite character thanks to his effortless charm and quick wit. These traits almost matched Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, which probably explains why the two characters both got along so well despite their tensions.
Commenting on the casting, Lord and Miller said;
“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us. These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”
Glover, despite only being 33, is one of the most experienced artists working in the industry today thanks to the sheer variety of projects he’s worked on. He’s been nominated for two Grammys and was a three-time winner of the WGA Television Awards for his work on 30 Rock. He starred in four seasons of Community, appeared in the Academy Award nominated movie The Martian and is playing an unspecified role in Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The Untitled Han Solo Spin-Off Movie is slated for a 2018 release.
IMAGES: AP Images & Invision
