Disney's CEO immediately greenlit 'Solo' after the writer described the scene that reveals the origin of Han's last name
Warning: This post contains spoilers for "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
- "Solo" co-writer Lawrence Kasdan told CinemaBlend that the origin of Han's last name in the movie got the film made.
- In the movie, a military officer gives Han the last name "Solo" because he is alone and has no "people."
- Disney CEO Bob Iger loved it so much that he was on board the project immediately.
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" tells the origin story of one of the "Star Wars" saga's most popular characters, Han Solo, right down to how he got his last name. And that detail actually was what convinced Disney to make the film, according to longtime "Star Wars" screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.
Kasdan, who co-wrote "Solo," told CinemaBlend that his pitch for the movie to Disney executives five years ago included the origin of Han's last name. In the movie, a military officer gives Han the last name "Solo" because he is alone and, as Han puts it, "has no people."
Kasdan said that Disney CEO Bob Iger loved that aspect of Han's origin so much that he decided that the film should be made then and there.
"My presentation was, [Han] comes to an immigration spot and someone asks, 'What's your name?'" Kasdan said. "It's not just that he doesn't have a name, which tells you a lot about his history. He says 'I have no people.' That to me is so forlorn and so isolating and rife, and the guy fills in his name. Bob Iger said 'Alright, I'm in.' That was it. That was the moment. He reacted to it the way I reacted to it, which was, it's very moving. This was a guy who has nothing. Someone plants a name on him. He doesn't even know the guy. It sticks for the rest of the saga."
The film didn't seem to excite audiences as much, though.
Over the weekend, "Solo" opened below expectations domestically with $83 million from Friday to Sunday, and $101 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend. It's the lowest opening for a "Star Wars" movie since "Attack of the Clones" in 2002, not adjusted for inflation. It also bombed internationally with just $65 million.