Report: Disney narrows search for young Han Solo to three actors

After reportedly talking to a slate of young actors, both established and new, Disney has created a shortlist of actors it is interested in offering the role of a young Han Solo to, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) and Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) are the top three contenders for the starring role in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's anthology film. The movie will focus heavily on the origin story of Han Solo and his relationship with right hand Wookiee, Chewbacca.

It was previously reported that actors like Dave Franco, Scott Eastwood and Ansel Elgort were up for the roll, but so were close to 2,500 other young actors. Much like the search for Rey, Daisy Ridley's character in The Force Awakens, Disney has allegedly combed the desert looking for the right actor to fill the role made famous by Harrison Ford in 1977.

Lord and Miller's Star Wars film, which doesn't have a title as of yet, will be released in 2018. Before that, however, Disney and Lucasfilm will release the first anthology film, Rogue One, on Dec. 14 and Star Wars: Episode VIII on Dec. 15, 2017.