After thousands of actors auditioned for the part, Disney and Lucasfilm have finally found the next Han Solo: Alden Ehrenreich.

Ehrenreich, who had a scene-stealing part in the Coen Brothers' latest flick, "Hail Caesar!," isn't a household name, but that should change with this casting. He'll take on the iconic role, originated by Harrison Ford, in his own "Star Wars" spinoff flick, tentatively titled "Han Solo: A Star Wars Story."

Deadline first reported that Ehrenreich was the frontrunner back in April, beating out a bevy of other actors, including Jack Reynor and Taron Egerton, for the coveted role. Page Six claimed the exclusive on confirming the actor's casting late Thursday, with both Deadline and Variety also posting their own confirming reports. According to Variety, it's likely that Ehrenreich will shoot a small cameo that will be inserted into the other "Star Wars" spinoff, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," which is due in theaters in December. Production on the Solo solo flick will then begin in January of 2017.

Earlier this week, Chris Miller, who's co-directing "Han Solo" with Phil Lord, tweeted out his excitement about getting to work on the film. No word yet from the directors, or Ehrenreich himself, about the casting, though we expect an official announcement from the Disney and Lucasfilm brass any day now.


"Han Solo: A Star Wars Story" is due in theaters on May 25, 2018.

[via: Deadline, Page Six, Variety]

Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images