If anyone is shaping up to have a huge month in May 2018, it’s Paul Bettany, since he is starring in two highly-anticipated movies,Avengers: Infinity War, where he returns as Vision, andSolo: A Star Wars Story. The later project marks the third time Paul Bettany and Ron Howard have collaborated, following the Best Picture winnerA Beautiful Mindand the Dan Brown adaptationThe Da Vinci Code. When asked what it was like to reunite with the director, Paul Bettany had nothing buthigh praise for Ron Howard, while revealing that he reshot much more than originally planned. Here’s what the actor had to say.
“His staging ability is so f***ing brilliant. I think he went in and he was like a laser, working out what needed to be done when he looked at the footage. And then, as things moved on, everybody felt so secure with him. And they gave him more. He reshot a lot more than was originally intended.”
This statement falls in line with a report from late October, which claimedRon Howard reshot almost all of Han Solo, and that these reshoots nearly doubled the film’s budget, essentially scrapping the four months of shooting with the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were fired by LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy. The actor also revealed in a new interview with Total Film that he plays an “intergalactic gangster” in the movie, which he reveals is a “caper” and a “gangster movie” as well. Here’s what the actor had to say about thisHan Solo spin-off.
“It’sHan Solo’s story, and of course his story would be a caper. On one level it’s a gangster movie. That’s really interesting, because it’s within the canon but really different. It’s f***ing Han Solo! Suddenly, I’m an intergalactic gangster and I’m walking down some stairs and an R2 unit goes by with some champagne, and I’m like… (drops jaw) I had that feeling that I hadn’t had since I was first on a film set. I was a little boy doing the best job in the world.”
Paul Bettany was a late addition to the cast, joining the production in September,replacing Michael K. Williams, who was unavailable for the extensive reshoots due to scheduling conflicts. As of now, Disney is keeping the original June 08, 2025 release date, although there have been rumors it may be pushed to December. Take a look at the full report fromTotal Film, as we continue the countdown towardsHan Solo: A Star Wars Story.
