It's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. With Disney now in charge of the property, Lucasfilm has produced a ton of new and exciting projects. Between main installments and standalone films, there we can expect a new Star Wars flick every year or so for the foreseeable future. While cinephiles are still reeling from Rian Johnson's subversive and wild ride in The Last Jedi, the next installment in the galaxy far, far away is only a month and change away. Solo: A Star Wars Story is very nearly here, and now we have an idea of how long Ron Howard's upcoming blockbuster is.
While the folks at Lucasfilm seem to be keeping their Solo: A Star Wars Story cards close the chest, it appears that the Cannes Festival is actually responsible for leaking the film's runtime. The movie will debut at this year's festival, and the Cannes website has Solo clocked in at 135 minutes. Given the current state of the franchise, this runtime sounds about right. Now we just have to wait for an actual confirmation from the studio.
If the report is to be believed, then Solo: A Star Wars Story should clock in at almost exactly the runtime of its predecessor Rogue One. The direct prequel to A New Hope was 133 minutes long when it arrived in December of 2016, with The Force Awakens' coming in at 135 minutes. The Last Jedi recently made history by being a longer installment in the franchise, with152 minutes runtime.
Solo's runtime being uniform with the rest of the franchise is probably a relief for some Star Wars fans, who were feeling nervous about Ron Howard's upcoming blockbuster. While anticipation for Star Wars movies are always at a high, Solo has had a rocky path to the theaters. Original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired and promptly escorted off set partway through filming. This quickly caused anxiety among the fandom, who feared that Solo might be delayed. Ultimately director Ron Howard took on the role, helping to give some renewed confidence in the standalone film.
Overall, the pressure is really on for Solo: A Star Wars Story, especially because so little has been seen/known about the project. Actor Alden Ehrenreich has big shoes to fill, as he brings a younger version of Harrison Ford's signature character to the silver screen right after his death in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film will give some background to fan favorite characters like Han, Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and Chewbacca. Solo's supporting cast is full of fantastic talent including Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, and Paul Bettany.
Solo: A Star Wars Story will arrive in theaters May 25, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
