A creator of the original Millennium Falcon describes how the legendary 'Star Wars' ship was made with airplane scraps and lots of imagination

The latest "Star Wars" release, "Solo" (opening Friday), looks at not just a young and idealistic Han Solo as he begins his path to becoming one of the most infamous pilots in the galaxy. It also shines a spotlight on the origin story of Han's true love, the Millennium Falcon.

Before becoming one of the standout ships in the Rebel Alliance fleet against the Empire in the Skywalker "Star Wars" saga, it was the prize possession of card hustler Lando Calrissian. In "Solo," the ship has a slightly different look (no gap in the front of the ship, and much cleaner), but shows the traits that will make it one of the most beloved aspects of the franchise. The ship's main highlight in "Solo" happens when Lando teams with Han and Chewbacca and they use the ship to complete what will become one of the Falcon's most legendary adventures: the Kessel Run.

With Han getting his origin story, we thought this would be the perfect time to recount just how the Millennium Falcon was born through the sweat and tears of a small group of designers who, under the guidance of George Lucas, made the iconic ship for the first movie in the "Star Wars" saga, "A New Hope."

Business Insider spoke to Roger Christian - who was the set decorator on "A New Hope" (and won an Oscar for his work) - about the movies that inspired the space western style of the Falcon, the truckloads of airplane scraps he collected to create the interior sets of the ship, and how he crafted the famous dice that hung in the cockpit.