Star Wars Solo

PLOT

On the planet Corellia, orphans Han and Qi'ra escape a local gang. They bribe an Imperial officer with stolen starship fuel, known as coaxium, for passage on a transport, but Qi'ra is captured before she can board. Han vows to return for her and joins the Imperial Navy as a flight cadet, being given the surname "Solo".

Three years later, Han is serving as an infantryman on Mimban following his expulsion from the Imperial Flight Academy for insubordination. He encounters a group of criminals posing as Imperial soldiers, led by Tobias Beckett. Han attempts to blackmail Beckett into letting him join the gang, but Beckett has him arrested and thrown into a pit to be fed to a Wookiee prisoner named Chewbacca. Able to understand Chewbacca's language, Han persuades him to cooperate to escape. Beckett, aware of the usefulness of a Wookiee's strength, rescues and enlists them in the gang to steal a shipment of coaxium on Vandor-1. The plan fails when the Cloud Riders, a band of marauders led by Enfys Nest, arrive to hijack the shipment. The resulting chaos leads to the destruction of the coaxium and the deaths of Beckett's wife Val and another crewman, Rio.

Beckett reveals that he was ordered to steal the shipment for Dryden Vos, a high-ranking crime boss in the Crimson Dawn syndicate. Han and Chewbacca volunteer to help him steal another shipment to repay the debt so that Vos will not kill him. They travel to Vos's yacht where Han finds Qi'ra, who has joined Crimson Dawn as Vos's top lieutenant. Han suggests a risky plan to steal unrefined coaxium from the mines on Kessel; Vos approves but insists that Qi'ra accompany the team. She leads them to Lando Calrissian, a smuggler and pilot, who she hopes will lend them his ship, the Millennium Falcon. Han challenges Lando to a game of sabacc, with the wager being Lando's ship. Lando cheats to win but agrees to join the mission in exchange for a share of the profits.

After reaching Kessel in the Falcon and infiltrating the mine, Lando's droid co-pilot L3-37 instigates a slave revolt. They steal the coaxium in the confusion, but L3 is fatally damaged and Lando is wounded during the escape. With the help of L3's navigational computer, uploaded into the ship's systems, Han pilots the ship through the dangerous and uncharted Kessel Run to elude an Imperial blockade. The Falcon, badly damaged, lands on the planet Savareen to process the coaxium.

Enfys arrives, having tracked the team from Vandor, and Lando leaves in the Falcon, deserting everyone else. Enfys reveals that she and her crew are rebels trying to strike back at the syndicates and the Empire. Han becomes sympathetic to their cause and tries to trick Vos, who reveals Beckett has already alerted him to the double-cross. Vos sends his guards to kill Enfys, but the Cloud Riders overpower them, leaving Vos defenseless. Having anticipated Vos's strategy, Han tries to take the coaxium, but Beckett betrays Vos and escapes with it, taking Chewbacca hostage. Qi'ra kills Vos and sends Han after Beckett. She contacts Vos's superior, Force-wielder Maul, to inform him of the mission's failure, which she blames on Beckett. Maul orders Qi'ra to meet with him on Dathomir.

Han confronts Beckett and shoots him before he can return fire. Qi'ra leaves in Vos's yacht, while Han and Chewbacca give the coaxium to Enfys, who offers Han a chance to join the rebellion against the Empire. He declines, and she gives him a vial of coaxium, enough to purchase a ship of his own.

Han and Chewbacca locate Lando and challenge him to a rematch in sabacc, once again wagering the Falcon. This time Han wins in a fair game after having stolen the hidden card from Lando that he used to cheat his way to victory the first time. Han and Chewbacca then leave for Tatooine to find the crime lord mentioned by Beckett who is putting together a big, profitable job.

CAST

Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett

Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian

Thandie Newton as Val: Beckett's wife

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37

Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca

Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos

Erin Kellyman appears as Enfys Nest, the leader of a gang of pirates called Cloud Riders. Jon Favreau voices Rio Durant and Linda Hunt voices Lady Proxima. Ian Kenny portrays Rebolt while Clint Howard portrays Ralakili. Additionally, Anthony Daniels cameos as Tak. Kiran Shah plays Karjj and Warwick Davis briefly reprises his role from The Phantom Menace as Weazel, Ray Park reprises his role as Maul, with Sam Witwer providing the voice, reprising the role from The Clone Wars and Rebels animated TV series. Dee Tails appears as Quay Tolsite, the director of the Pyke Syndicate's operations on Kessel.

Screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan and first assistant director Toby Hefferman portrayed Tag Greenley and Bink Otauna, respectively—two characters that first appeared in the Star Wars Legends comics published by Dark Horse Comics. The scene was not included in the finished film.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

the second Star Wars anthology film, following Rogue One (2016).