While many of us are mostly eager to watch the new Star Wars trilogy conclude with Episode IX in 2019, there’s a lot fans out there relying on the spin-off entries in-between the main cinematic storyline chapters to tide them over.
Most recently, it was Rogue One, which focused on the Rebel Alliance and their mission to snatch the Death Star plans out of the Empire’s clutches. While the movie didn’t capture everyone’s adoration, it certainly did make a ton of money. Disney is surely banking on this next entry to follow suit, especially since the company decided to focus on the universally beloved character of Han Solo.
Solo: A Star Wars story will explore the eponymous smuggler’s backstory—replete with appearances from the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian. While that movie is set for a global May 25, 2018 release, Deadline reports that one particular audience will get to experience it a full 10 days earlier—at the Cannes Film Festival.
According to Deadline, the film festival is still at work finalizing the roster of competing movies. Nonetheless, organizers have agreed to exhibit the new Ron Howard-directed Star Wars movie during a special screening on May 15. The opening-night movie inaugurating this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be the Asghar Farhadi thriller Everybody Knows starring Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. In any case, those fortunate enough to gain entry to this early, secretive screening will get to travel to a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago, 10 days earlier than the rest of us. May the Force be with them.
Solo: A Star WarsStory features Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo—a character made famous by Harrison Ford in the original 1977 film—and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, with additional casting including Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, and Paul Bettany.
