Han Solo: A Star Wars Story New Chewbacca Actor Honors Peter Mayhew
02/21/2017 10:46 pm EST
With the upcoming anthology film Han Solo: A Star Wars Story starting production today, it marks the start of another chapter in the Star Wars universe. And boasting a star-studded cast including Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Westworld's Thandie Newton, the standalone film sure to provide a unique look at some of the franchise's iconic characters.
That being said, some fans have remained apprehensive about the film, wanting to make sure that it honors the performances in the original films, namely Harrison Ford in the titular role, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.
But one of Han Solo: A Star Wars Story's actors is set on honoring his predecessor and coworker, as a recent Instagram post proved.
Joonas Suotamo, who will play Han's furry sidekick Chewie in the anthology film, has expressed his excitement to be joining the project.
"I am profoundly grateful for this amazing opportunity to become part of the Star Wars franchise that I have loved since my childhood," Suotamo wrote. "I would like to thank my family, friends, basketball coaches and teammates, fellow cast and crew members, the staff at Lucasfilm and Disney, the great fans of this spectacular universe, and especially Peter Mayhew."
The full post:
Suotamo has been sharing the role with Peter Mayhew in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Due to Mayhew's limited mobility and chronic knee problems, Suotamo was brought in for the more mobile and action-heavy scenes in those films. But as was announced Tuesday, this will be his first solo endeavor as the iconic Wookiee, a task that the actor appears to be taking seriously.
"Chewbacca is one of the most iconic characters in the history of film," Suotamo writes in his Instagram post, "and Peter's development and portrayal of this beloved Wookiee has spread so much joy across the globe. Peter's guidance and kindness have been invaluable gifts which warmed my spirit and prepared me for this journey. I aspire to make Peter proud and bring Star Wars fans the Chewie they know and love."
The thirty year-old Finnish actor reportedly stands at 6'10". While this makes him five inches shorter than Mayhew, his height still makes him a perfect stand-in for the part. A former collegiate and professional basketball player, Suotamo says that he feels honored to be involved with the project in such an integral way.
"I am profoundly grateful for this amazing opportunity to become a part of the Star Wars franchise that I have loved since my childhood."
If you're getting excited about the Han Solo movie, be sure to give it an anticipation rating at the bottom of the page!
Jon and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, and many Star Wars veterans are on board the Millennium Falcon once again including: Neal Scanlan (Creature & Droid FX Creative Supervisor), Neil Lamont (Production Designer), Dave Crossman and Glyn Dillon (Co-Costume Designers), Jamie Wilkinson (Prop Master), Lisa Tomblin (Hair), Amanda Knight (Make-Up) and Nina Gold (UK Casting Director).
Han Solo: A Star Wars Story is filming now under directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller for a May 25, 2018 release. Alden Ehrenreich stars as a young Han Solo and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca in the era before Star Wars: A New Hope, before they met Leia and Luke and embarked on a galaxy-saving adventure. Donald Glover also stars as Lando Calrissian, with Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Emilia Clarke in as-yet-unrevealed co-starring roles.
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