They're not also-Hans: Meet the stars in the running to play young Han Solo
"Hail Caesar!" star Alden Ehrenreich is reported to have been cast as the space-faring scoundrel in his own Star Wars spin-off movie.
The most coveted role in the galaxy is edging closer to being cast. Disney is reported to have settled on "Hail Caesar" star Alden Ehrenreich to take on the role of a young Han Solo in a Star Wars spin-off, after Miles Teller, Dave Franco and Scott Eastwood were in the frame.
The record-breaking "Episode VII: The Force Awakens" saw Harrison Ford once again don the quick-draw holster of space pirate and all-round charming rogue Han Solo for the first time in 30 years. Alongside the central Star Wars movies, Disney plans a number of spin-offs, set to focus on popular characters such as Solo and taciturn bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Variety previously reported that the shortlist was narrowed down to eight, including "Whiplash" and "Fantastic Four" star Miles Teller, along with Ansel Elgort from "The Fault in Our Stars" and the Divergent movie series, and Dave Franco, star of "21 Jump Street" and "Now You See Me".
Irish actor Jack Reynor from "Transformers: Age of Extinction" and "Macbeth" is in the frame, as are "Fury" star Logan Lerman, "Brooklyn" actor Emory Cohen and "Everybody Wants Some" actor Blake Jenner. The list was rounded out by Scott Eastwood, son of Clint, who at 29 was the oldest actor in the running.
But according to Deadline, it seems that Ehrenreich, who played a charming cowboy in "Hail Caesar!" has edged them all out.
Earlier reports suggested that filmmakers had cast the net wide to find the young Solo, with pretty much every young actor in Hollywood potentially under consideration. Some of the early contenders that now appear to have fallen by the wayside include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Felton and "Mr Robot" star Rami Malek.
Click through our photo gallery to meet the names still in the frame to play the galaxy's most famous stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herder, along with a few also-Hans.
The as-yet-untitled Solo film will be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the men behind "21 Jump Street" and "The Lego Movie". Shooting is set to start a year from now, ready for a May 2018 release date.
That seems a long way off for casting to be under way now, but rumours suggest the successful actor could appear as Solo in the first spin-off "Rogue One" when it lands in movie theatres this December.
Editors' note: This was originally posted on 12 January 2016 and has been updated to reflect Alden Ehrenreich's reported casting.