Video: Emilia Clarke and Paul Bettany on Solo
Audiences have already seen Paul Bettany grace the big screen this year as the heroic Vision in Avengers: Infinity War. But as noble as his character is in the Marvel Studios film, he’s equally villainous in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He plays the evil Dryden Vos, an underworld gangster that sends Han Solo and his crew on their intergalactic heist. Bettany’s character is menacing and prone to violent mood swings, but when I spoke to him about Star Wars, it turns out he has a soft spot for the saga and it played a much bigger role in his love for films than we knew.
By his side is Emilia Clarke, who plays his lieutenant Qi’ra. She faithfully runs Dryden’s empire, but when Han Solo walks in the door, her life is upended. Qi’ra grew up with Han Solo on the streets of Corellia and the young lovers hoped to run away across the galaxy together until fate had other plans for them. Emilia has starred in major franchises such as Game of Thrones and Terminator Genisys, but as I spoke with her it was easy to see she has a special place in her heart for Star Wars and Han Solo himself.
Solo: A Star Wars Story makes the jump to light speed in a high-octane adventure that navigates the perils of a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, forges new friendships that will last a lifetime, and reveals untold secrets from the hidden past of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes. Han Solo meets loyal co-pilot Chewbacca and notorious gambler Lando Calrissian for the first time, bound by a desperate mission against impossible odds that will help shape the irresistible scoundrel audiences have come to love.
Directed by Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Hail, Caesar‘s Alden Ehrenreich as Han, with Atlanta‘s Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and The Force Awakens‘ Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson is playing Han’s mentor, a man by the name of Beckett, while Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, Westworld‘s Thandie Newton, Avengers‘ Paul Bettany, and Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge also star.
The film is produced by Lucasfilm‘s Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel. Lawrence Kasdan, Jason McGatlin, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are the executive producers. Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay.
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on May 25, 2018.
