Donald Glover talks about building a complicated, untrustworthy Lando Calrissian
Donald Glover is a busy man these days. Not only can he be seen next month as part of the ensemble cast of Marvel Studios‘ Spider-Man: Homecoming, he’s also set to play Simba in Jon Favreau’s upcoming live-action The Lion King. That’s in addition to creating, writing and starring on FX’s critically-acclaimed series Atlanta, developing an animated Deadpool television series, and preparing one last album as Childish Gambino. Topping it off, he’s also set to make his debut in a galaxy far, far away as Lando Calrissian in Phil Lord and Chris Miller‘s still-untitled Han Solo movie. Speaking with Deadline, Glover teased his approach to the role made famous by Billy Dee Williams.
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“It’s a lot of pressure,” he tells the outlet, “but it’s also very exciting. He was my favorite character, too. I grew up on ‘Star Wars’. It’s just cool to see him again. I feel like people like him ’cause he has a lot of style, but also he’s a complicated character in this world. I think even Han isn’t as complicated as Lando is. From the first time you meet him, you don’t know whether to trust him or not, and you’re constantly not knowing whether to trust him. I like that about him.”
What’s more, the creative multi-hyphenate says that he’s finding his time as Lando Calrissian to be artistically fulfilling.
“For working under, like, a huge conglomerate, it’s actually been quite an enjoyable, artistic thing,” says Glover. “I get to play him in a way that I think is honest and true and cool. And it’s great ’cause I didn’t have to write anything, I’m focused strictly on being this guy. And I really respect him and I respect the actor who played him before. I’ve learned a lot about this character, so it’s actually been really fulfilling and nice to just turn off everything else and focus on just being someone.”
It was previously revealed that the Han Solo movie will focus on how young Han became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley. It has also been confirmed that the film will span a seven-year stretch, covering Han’s life from 18 to 24. It will showcase how he came into possession of the Millennium Falcon, how he first met Chewbacca and will, of course, detail his early experiences with Glover’s Lando Calrissian.
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The film is set to feature Hail, Caesar‘s Alden Ehrenreich as Han and The Force Awakens‘ Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson is attached to play Han’s mentor, a man by the name of Beckett, while Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, Westworld‘s Thandie Newton, The Wire‘s Michael K. Williams and Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge are set for undisclosed roles.
The Han Solo movie story arrives from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan. Slated for a May 25, 2018 release, the Han Solo movie will be executive produced by Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin and co-produced by Will Allegra.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)