When you see “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” don’t be surprised if Han reminds you of Jeff Bridges’ beloved Southern Californian loafer from “The Big Lebowski.”
The screenwriters of the upcoming “Star Wars” film say that the burnout-bowling flick was influential to their screenplay. Han is The Dude in this case, and Chewbacca is his hapless, if not aggressive sidekick Walter Sobchak (John Goodman).
“Larry and I are both huge Coen brothers fans, and we talk a lot about that [relationship] as a reference,” said Jon Kasdan in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
He added that he and his father Lawrence, who co-wrote the screenplay, were “trying to create a crime movie where our character was entering a crime world where there were already dramas in place and relationships and complications, and we have to see him negotiate a lot more rivalries than he is expecting at the beginning of the story.”
“‘The Big Lebowski’ is a great example because ‘Solo’ has a more off-kilter tone than you’ve ever seen in [‘Star Wars’],” he said.
Other influential films for Han’s origin story? “Treasure Island,” “Heat,” “Unforgiven,” and “Gangster No. 1.”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” opens in theaters May 25.