Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford,”Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) Photo Courtesy LucasFilm / The Hollywood Archive
Billy Dee, Billy Dee, Billy Dee…
That smooth talking smuggler originally played by Billy Dee Williams will be back soon in a more youthful incarnation than previously depicted on screen.
Lucasfilm has just announced their pick for the role of a young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo / Star Wars stand-alone film.
Donald Glover, an acclaimed actor, award-winning writer, and Grammy-nominated artist, will be playing the part of Lando Calrissian in the still-untitled film, helmed by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
According to the Star Wars official site, [beautifulquote align=”full” cite=””]Glover will join Alden Ehrenreich — previously cast as Han Solo — in bringing two iconic Star Wars characters back to the big screen, but at a time in their lives previously unexplored. This new film depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld — years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.[/beautifulquote]
Donald Glover, “Magic Mike XXL,” Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Glover is best known for creating and starring in the critically acclaimed FX series “Atlanta,” as well as for starring in four seasons of the show “Community.” In addition, Glover appeared in “The Martian,” “Magic Mike XXL” and will be seen in the upcoming “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
The untitled Han Solo movie is set for release in 2018.