The Stars Wars franchise is currently moving forward at full speed, and the galaxy far, far away is about to get even bigger. Solo: A Star Wars Story will arrive in a matter of days, heralding in the second standalone movie for the beloved property. Solo will bring the fandom to a new moment in the overall timeline of the galaxy, and reveal how characters like Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca meet for the very first time. The friendship between Han and Chewie has never really been explored before, including how it is that the smuggler understands Wookiee language. Now it appears that Alden Ehrenreich learned a few choice Wookiee phrases throughout the course of Solo. As he tells it,
There's a part that's subtitled so we had to figure out what words meant certain words. But it was in my audition. I had to learn it, sort of do the whole thing.
While not exactly fluent, it looks like Solo's young star has at least dabbled in speaking Wookiee. If nothing else, this is an indication of how seriously everyone involved in Solo took the standalone movie. There seems to be a great attention to detail, which will hopefully positive affect the finished product.
Alden Ehrenreich's comments come from his recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The host is a pretty big Star Wars fan, so he got to geek out with the actor tasked with taking on the role from Harrison Ford. Han Solo is the undisputed fan favorite of the franchise, so Ehrenreich has some big shoes to fill. But his active interest in speaking the Wookiee language is something Ford probably never took on, so he's got one thing going for him.
The focus on the Wookiee language in Solo: A Star Wars Story further indicates that Chewbacca will be a major role in the standalone film. While Chewie has been a character in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, he's been mostly kept to the sidelines of the action. The current trilogy is placing more of a focus on the new characters, with OG supporting heroes like Chewie and C-3PO crafted into smaller features.
But Solo should change this, revealing a slightly younger Chewbacca who is meeting the likes of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian for the very first time. The origin of Chewie's friendship with Han has been vaguely mentioned throughout the franchise, and this will be the very first time we see it in live-action. The movie will also likely contain the famous Kessel Run, and may even contain a role for Boba Fett. While we'll have to wait a few more weeks for the truth, early reception for Solo has been fairly positive.
Solo: A Star Wars Story will arrive in theaters on May 25th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
