2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story seems like one of those event films that came, went, and disappeared without a trace. Starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, the film focused on his adventures before the Cantinas and Carbonite, serving as an origin tale for the beloved character. The end of the film presented some interesting revelations, as several plot threads were deliberately left loose in order to set up a sequel.
However, any hopes of a follow-up have been quashed for now according to Solo screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan. When asked on Twitter as to whether there would be a Solo 2, Kasdan simply replied:
Don’t think anyone’s pursuing a Solo sequel at the moment. I think a feature, at this point would be a tough sell & the [Disney+] Star Wars slate is really… pretty packed, all shows I’m looking forward to.
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Solo was one project that people were generally not invested about. The studio was essentially dangling carrots to public, going, “Hey, look what we have here. Don’t you want to witness the famed Kessel Run? Don’t you wanna know the origin of Solo? Ever wondered how Han got The Falcon?” However, the enthusiasm was not being reciprocated, with turnouts at the cineplexes being lower than usual for a Star Wars outing.
Production itself was rocky with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller leaving over creative differences. To add to its woes, its budget was blown to at least $275 million (USD) – to compare, Avengers: Infinity War’s budget was placed at $316 million (USD), so yeah, that’s a hefty figure. Following years of Star Wars films banking in the cash, unfortunately, Solo became the first franchise entry to bomb at the box office, earning only $393 million (USD) worldwide.
As such, the studio would understandably choose to shift its lenses knowing full well that the public has spoken with their cash. Developing a sequel might not be the priority right now. Disney+ itself has loads of galactic material to work with. The Mandalorian, the Cassian Andor series, and Obi-Wan Kenobi project are all lined up for the streamer. Sorry, Han. It seems like you’re going to have to channel your inner Jennie (from Blackpink) and go so-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-looo.
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