Radio Times, which I think may be something like the TV Guide of the United Kingdom, thinks Aaron Paul, who won three Emmys for playing Walter White’s meth-chef protégé Jesse Pinkman on “Breaking Bad,” might be taking over the Harrison Ford role in Lucasfilm’s just announced Young Han Solo prequel movie.
The untitled feature (which has me terribly excited if you must know), the second in the upcoming “Star Wars Anthology” series of prequels, is being hatched by writers Lawrence Kasdan (“The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Force Awakens”) and son Jon Kasdan, as well as “22 Jump Street”/“Lego Movie” directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller.
The Radio Times sees a clue in the fact that Paul’s Twitter account is one of 365 or so followed by Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Twitter account.
RT points out that “almost all” of those 365 have “actually appeared in or voiced characters in Star Wars productions. It basically only follows people who are directly involved with the franchise.”
Suspicious!
Radio Times says Paul has never been involved in an on-screen Star Wars thing. That we know of. Yet.
Paul was rumored to have been on a Lucasfilm short list to join Felicity Jones in next year’s “Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One,” but he’s not among the six actors (Diego Luna and Riz Ahmed among them) so far announced for “Rogue One.”
So The Radio Times is making the leap to suggest maybe Paul has already been hired to star in another Star Wars project.
Paul turns 36 next month, which makes him just a tad older than Ford was when Ford shot 1977’s “Star Wars.” But at 5’8” Paul is kind of dinky compared to the 6’1” Ford.
Also, I think I’d prefer an actor with a deeper voice.
Also also, I wouldn’t be shocked if Lucasfilm is looking for a Han-some 24-year-old for the part.
We’ve seen three young actors – River Phoenix, Sean Patrick Flannery and Corey Carrier – play Young Indiana Jones with varying degrees of Forditude, but personally I’m not certain Paul has the presence to go Solo.
Find all of the Radio Times’ theories on the matter here.
