With Ron Howard's retooling of the untitled Han Solo Star Wars story, there's obviously a need for reshoots to tighten up the film's narrative. In that process, we've seen a character potentially re-cast, as well as some historical moments in Solo's history quite possibly taking shape on film. The latest development in this process is that fact that Thandie Newton has apparently taken a break from her Westworld season 2 shoot, in order to grab some more screen time in the Star Wars canon.
The film is wrapping up its beleaguered, but constantly moving, production schedule, as the May 25, 2018 release date looms unchanged. News of Newton's reshoots come not too long after the streamlining process saw Michael K. Williams' character in the Star Wars stand-alone removed from the film due to scheduling woes of his own preventing any participation in coverage of his own. With that void possibly being filled by Paul Bettany's pinch hitting, it's a welcome relief that Thandie Newton was able to rearrange her schedule with the acclaimed HBO sci-fi drama to make her presence known in the Star Wars universe, in a role that Howard himself promises will light up the screen.
Of course, we still don't know what that role is, though some folks on the internet think they've figured it out. If you scroll through the Twitter post where Ron Howard shared this delightful news, you'll see that some fans feel Newton has been brought in to play the character of Rae Sloane. An Imperial officer that was introduced through tie-in literature set during the Star Wars Rebels timeframe, Sloane is a ladder climbing officer who eventually becomes Grand Admiral by the time the First Order is starting its earliest phases of formation, and she's also known to partake in Jedi hunting as a hobby.
All of this speculation is fun, but before we go any further, take a look at the photo for yourself. In particular, pay close attention to where Ron Howard's hand is on Thandie Newton's coat. When you zoom in on this section, you'll notice that it looks like a certain insignia is supposedly being covered up.
Should these rumors be true, there's a good chance that Thandie Newton's portrayal of Rae Sloane could set her up for a meatier presence in the Star Wars galaxy. Her presumptive character has found herself occupying later pieces of the history of the Empire, with appearances in the Aftermath trilogy, as well as the recent novel Phasma, which delves into the history of a certain silver plated Stormtrooper. If you're looking to wow Kathleen Kennedy and the folks at Lucasfilm Ltd, you might want to propose an adaptation of that story as a stand-alone film, if only so we could potentially see Newton and Gwendoline Christie deliver some heavy hitting Imperial drama.
But, as per usual, speculation reigns the day, and the facts are that Thandie Newton will get some more time in the Star Wars spotlight, while Ron Howard continues to enjoy himself in completing what could be the next big hit in the still young line of the franchise's spin-offs. The truth will come out when we get a better look at the untitled Han Solo Star Wars story, which is set to hit theaters on May 25, 2018. If you want to know what else is hitting our galaxy through next year's schedule, you can do your research in our 2018 release date schedule.
