Billy Dee Williams Loved 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'

At least one of the two actors stepping into an iconic Star Wars role can now rest easy: Billy Dee [...]

By Kofi Outlaw

At least one of the two actors stepping into an iconic Star Wars role can now rest easy: Billy Dee Williams has apparently seen Solo: A Star Wars Story and loves it - including Donald Glover playing a younger version of Williams iconic Star Wars charater, Lando Calrissian:


Glover's version of Lando has been a clear highlight of the Solo marketing campaign - a much clearer casting win than the central role of young Han Solo, who is being played by Hail Caesar! star Alden Ehrenreich. Poor Mr. Ehrenreich has had more trouble living up to the legacy of Harrison Ford's Han Solo, but the tide may now be turning!

The first wave of Solo: A Star Wars Story reactions have been pretty positive, citing a fun sci-fi heist film with a great ensemble cast. That good word-of-mouth will only build on the momentum that's already behind the film; as of now, Solo is outpacing Marvel's Black Panther in advanced ticket sales, and the prequel is projected to open as high as $170 million in its first weekend. This is all reason for Disney and Lucasfilm to be excited, as Solo could be positioned to outperform expectations, and continue the success of this new Star Wars franchise.

It's also great news for Glover, who is currently in the midst of a pretty big career upswing. Glover's TV series Atlanta got a Golden Globe, and its just-wrapped second season has only increased its critical and mainstream acclaim. On the movie side, Glover will continue his star rise by playing Simba in Disney's 2019 live-action Lion King movie. If that wasn't enough, Glover just received a Grammy for his song "Redbone" as alter-ego Childish Gambino, and his latest music video "This Is America" is currently a pop-culture breakthrough, with its violent and challenging imagery sparking an entire wave of cultural analysis and discourse.

In short: this is Glover's time, and owning the role of Lando is just one step in that journey. When Billy Dee approves, you know you done good.

Solo: A Star Wars Story will warp into theaters on May 25th.

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