Woody Harrelson is the latest addition to the expanding cast of the untitled Young Han Solo movie.
Lucasfilm on Wednesday has officially confirmed that "The Hunger Games" actor will play a role on the upcoming Han Solo standalone film starring Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!). Although details on his character are still under wraps, there were earlier talks that Harrelson will play Han Solo's mentor in the film. But, the studios did not confirm the rumor.
"We couldn't be more excited to work with an artist with as much depth and range as Woody," said directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller in a statement.
"His ability to find both humor and pathos, often in the same role, is truly unique. He is also very good at ping pong."
Harrelson joins previously cast Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) in an unspecified role and David Glover (Atlanta) as Lando Calrissian.
Harrelson's other film credits include "The Edge of Seventeen," "Now You See Me 2," "Seven Psychopaths" and "Friends with Benefits." On TV, he recently starred on HBO's "True Detective" opposite Matthew McConaughey. He will be next seen on War for the Planet of the Apes where he reprises his role as Colonel.
That movie is slated for release on July 14, 2017.
Official plot details of the Young Han Solo movie are not yet available at this point, but Entertainment Weekly has reported that it "will focus on the early days of Solo's adventures with Chewie and Lando, several years before he encountered Luke Skywalker and joined the galactic Rebellion."
The project in development is the second film boarding the "Star Wars" stand-alone franchise, which started with last December's debut of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Starring Felicity Jones and Diego Luna, the movie has grossed more than $820 million in the box office under a budget of $200 million. Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen and Ben Mendelsohn also star.
The untitled Young Han Solo movie will arrive in theaters sometime in 2018.
