Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan on how to cast a young Han Solo
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
The new era of Star Wars begins in a matter of hours, but there's already been plenty of talk about the future of the franchise, which will include a Han Solo prequel directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. That title brings with it the unique challenge of casting a young Solo, and one person who is definitely worth listening to in this regard is Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.
Speaking with Vulture, Kasdan gave his two cents on how to go about casting the iconic character: "You want someone who isn’t going to be exactly like Harrison, you want someone who suggests him.
"It’s like when you adapt a book, and I’ve adapted a couple: You don’t want to adapt it word for word, you want the essence to come through," Kasdan continued. "With Harrison, though, it’s not easy to find someone with those kinds of qualities. He’s like Spencer Tracy, and what does a young Spencer Tracy look like?"
Kasdan's comments suggests that Disney are already going about this the right way; it's smarter to look for someone who has the right swagger as opposed to a lookalike. Whoever is eventually chosen to inherit the Millennium Falcon, one thing is for sure - he will have some big, Harrison Ford sized shoes to fill.
Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in UK cinemas on December 17, 2015 before opening in US theatres a day later.
Images: LucasFilm
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.


