Following the announcement of a sequel or prequel to a beloved film, many fans begin to question why that new story is necessary. Such is the case with Solo: A Star Wars Story, as fans are happy to know little about the smuggler before his debut in the original Star Wars. The writers of the film, Lawrence andJon Kasdan, admit that there’s no “need” for Solo, but instead wanted to give audiences a fun heist film with familiar characters.
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“I’m mystified by that one question. I feel I can answer almost any other question. But, ‘Why do we need…?’ I feel that you can say that about any movie that was ever made,” Lawrence shared with Inside the Magic. “You find out more than you knew before. Godfather [Part] II was not necessary, but I’m so glad that Francis [Ford Coppola] made it. I wanted to know more about that.”
When asked why audiences “needed” this movie, Jon joked, “We don’t.”
He elaborated, “I think we need it almost exactly as much as we needed Iron Man 2… or 3. For that matter, Batman Begins. I mean, I am a huge fan of the [Christopher] Nolan Batman cycle, but let’s be honest, there had been five Batman movies. And never in any of the Batman movies, even as they continue, has there been any danger that he was going to die. So the handicaps on this movie that I think have caused people to ask that question are a little baffling, simply because it’s such a hallmark of the culture now to revisit characters we adore.”
The same way audiences might be interested in witnessing deleted scenes from a film, the writers of Solo merely wanted to offer fans more of the characters they know and love.
“There’s the further element of it, which is that we never thought of this as a movie that was going to answer questions. Because we weren’t really asking questions either,” Jon noted. “We weren’t saying, ‘You’ve got to see the scene where he wins the Falcon.’ We were saying, ‘How can we make a really fun heist/crime movie with a character we absolutely adore, and pepper it with moments that are delightful and fun, and they give you a little kick?’”
This approach seemed to pay off, as Jon recalled what it was like experiencing audiences witness the moments he crafted with Lawrence.
“Seeing it with an audience for the first time two days ago, I think that was Larry’s initial impulse, and I think he totally was right on the money,” Jon confessed. “There is something so primal about seeing Han and Chewie see each other for the first time, and that connection between them evolve. It’s powerful. It’s what movies do best. I’m excited.”
Fans will get to see Solo: A Star Wars Story when it lands in theaters on May 25th.
Are you looking forward to getting the further adventures of Han and Chewie? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
[H/T Inside the Magic]
