Revisiting the only box office bomb in Star Wars history.
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00:00 Though Solo certainly has its passionate defenders and cheerleaders, it's surely the least-discussed
00:05 live-action Star Wars movie to date, enough that you probably don't know enough about
00:08 this fascinating production - beyond its obvious controversies, that is.
00:12 So let's take a look at them as I'm Jules, this is WhatCultch.com, and these are 20 Things
00:16 You Didn't Know About Solo - A Star Wars Story.
00:21 20. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Miles Teller, and many, many more were considered for Han.
00:27 It won't surprise anyone to learn that original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller undertook
00:31 an extensive manhunt to find an actor to play the young Han Solo.
00:35 After all, given Harrison Ford's absolutely singular presence in the role, it required
00:39 an actor of equal charm and gravitas to do Han some justice.
00:44 And so the directors auditioned more than 3,000 actors for the part, with some of the
00:48 more prominent names including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Miles Teller, Dave Franco, Charlie Cox, and
00:53 even Chris Pratt.
00:55 Curiously though, Lord and Miller claimed that Aaron Reich was the first actor that
00:59 they ever auditioned for Han, and that nobody else they saw made quite the same impression.
01:03 The rest, as they say, is history.
01:06 19. Reshoots Bloated the Budget to $275 Million
01:12 You'll almost certainly be aware that Solo switched directors many months into shooting,
01:16 with the Lego movies Phil Lord and Chris Miller being dismissed after clashing with Lucasfilm
01:20 producers on the film's tone and shooting style.
01:23 They were replaced with Ron Howard, a safe pair of hands if ever there was one, who reportedly
01:27 ended up reshooting around 70% of the movie.
01:31 The extensive reshoots ended up bloating the film's budget to a stonking $275 million,
01:36 causing it to rank among the most expensive films ever made.
01:39 Given that even the heavily tinkered with Rogue One cost only $220 million, that was
01:45 a heavy incursion of added costs, and one which meant that Solo had to gross $500 million
01:50 just to break even, which, shockingly, it didn't.
01:54 18. Dryden Vos and Kira Were Originally Aliens
01:58 It's not uncommon for Star Wars characters to go through numerous design iterations before
02:02 the team settles on their final pick, though some of the original designs for two major
02:06 characters were pretty out there.
02:09 Villain Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany, was initially conceptualised as a dinosaur-esque,
02:14 bird-like figure.
02:15 But once the script introduced a love triangle between him, Kira, and Han, the obvious decision
02:19 was to make him humanoid.
02:21 Kira herself was also depicted as an alien in earlier designs, though in many of the
02:25 concepts she still resembled a physically attractive humanoid so it wouldn't have
02:28 prevented a romance with Han.
02:30 17. Phoebe Waller-Bridge Hadn't Seen A Star Wars Movie Before Being Cast
02:36 Phoebe Waller-Bridge gives a show-stealing performance in Solo as L3-37 Lando's sassy
02:41 droid companion and navigator.
02:43 However, despite her casting in the film, the actress had never seen a Star Wars movie
02:47 before.
02:48 In an interview with Graham Norton, she revealed that she somehow even got the audition without
02:52 knowing what a droid was and so simply just played the part as a human.
02:56 But everything clicked into place once a casting director asked her to play the part more droidy
03:01 while moving like a robot.
03:03 Waller-Bridge noted, however, that ultimately she was asked to give a decidedly not droidy
03:07 physical performance while playing her character.
03:10 No word yet on whether she's actually seen the Star Wars movie since, though given that
03:13 she's now actually in one, the odds are surely looking better.
03:17 16. Harrison Ford Skipped The Premiere Entirely To Keep The Attention On Alden Ehrenreich
03:23 When Solo had its world premiere in Los Angeles, there was much discussion about the conspicuous
03:27 absence of Harrison Ford, who many simply assumed would attend the premiere in support
03:32 of the project.
03:33 And though this initially sparked a round of baseless, melodramatic reports pondering
03:37 Ford's possible ambivalence about the movie, it was later stated that Ford opted not to
03:41 attend in order to keep the attention on the actual star of the movie.
03:45 Given Ford's own admissions that he suffers from anxiety during public engagements, though,
03:49 it may have been a relief for him, all things considered.
03:51 Regardless, Ford did meet with Ehrenreich prior to shooting and gave him advice on embodying
03:55 the character, and praised the actor's performance after viewing the film.
04:00 15. Darth Maul Wasn't Included In The Original Script
04:04 One of the most crowd-pleasing moments in the entire movie is Darth Maul's totally
04:08 unexpected cameo at the end.
04:10 Many fans were impressed at Lucasfilm's ability to keep the massive spoiler under
04:13 wraps for so long, but as it turns out, Maul's appearance wasn't in the original script
04:18 and added fairly late in production.
04:20 Originally the script listed the leader of the Crimson Dawn as "Boss", leaving the
04:24 door open for one of many fan-serving characters to fill the void.
04:27 However, director Ron Howard himself lobbied hard for Maul to take the spot, resulting
04:32 in the original Maul actor Ray Park being drafted in to physically portray the character
04:36 once more, while the voice was provided by Sam Witwer, who has previously voiced him
04:40 on both the Clone Wars and Rebels animated series.
04:44 14. Han's enlisting scene was inspired by The Godfather Part II
04:49 One of Solo's most maligned scenes occurs pretty early on when Han enlists in the Imperial
04:54 Navy as a flight cadet and earns his surname Solo, because he's on his own.
04:58 It's a forced sliver of fan service that many fans understandably found a bit cringeworthy,
05:03 but the scene as a whole actually has a surprisingly lofty inspiration.
05:07 The scene was intended to be an homage of an iconic scene from The Godfather Part II
05:11 of all movies, where a nine-year-old Vito arrives at Ellis Island and has his surname
05:15 changed from Andolini to Corleone.
05:18 The two scenes have a faint visual resemblance for obvious reasons, but it goes without saying
05:22 that Vito's naming scene is considerably more meaningful than Han's, which feels
05:26 rather tacked on and unnecessary.
05:28 13. Ron Howard previously turned down an offer to direct The Phantom Menace
05:34 More than 20 years before Ron Howard stepped in to finish Solo, he was offered the opportunity
05:38 to helm another Star Wars movie.
05:40 Back when George Lucas was writing Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace, he intended
05:44 for a trusted fellow filmmaker to take the directing reins, offering the job to Robert
05:48 Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and then Howard himself.
05:51 Each of the three graciously rejected the offer, because in Howard's words, it would
05:55 be simply "too daunting", while advising Lucas to direct the prequel himself.
05:59 The Phantom Menace and its follow-ups, well, they are what they are, but it's impossible
06:02 not to try and imagine what they might have been with Zemeckis, Spielberg, or Howard in
06:06 the driver's seat instead.
06:08 12. Val didn't die in the original script
06:12 If you thought that the sacrificial death of Tobias Beckett's wife Val seemed a bit
06:16 sudden and unceremonious at the end of the botched Coaxium heist, that's because it
06:20 actually wasn't in the original script.
06:22 In a recent interview with Inverse, Tandiwe Newton confirmed that Val's fate was changed
06:27 during filming, and that she was massively disappointed that one of the few prominent
06:30 black characters in the franchise was killed off so swiftly.
06:34 She said, "I remember at the time thinking, 'This is a big mistake.
06:37 Not because of me, not because I wanted to come back.
06:39 You don't kill off the first black woman to ever have a real role in a Star Wars movie.
06:43 Like, are you f*cking joking?'"
06:46 11. Christian Bale was considered for Tobias Beckett
06:49 Though Woody Harrelson was absolutely perfectly cast as Han's roguish mentor Tobias Beckett,
06:55 the part very nearly went to another A-lister instead.
06:58 Turns out that Christian Bale was up for the role at one stage, and though it's never
07:01 officially been confirmed why he didn't take the job, he did confirm in an interview
07:05 that he loved Star Wars and very nearly accepted the offer.
07:08 He said, "Yes, it was very tempting.
07:10 I not only loved the films going back to my childhood but also have a very long relationship
07:14 with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun many years back.
07:19 There was discussion and I hope there will be future discussions."
07:22 And this wasn't the first time that Bale had been linked to the series.
07:25 His name was bandied around quite a lot when George Lucas was casting Anakin Skywalker
07:29 for Attack of the Clones, as of course eventually went to Hayden Christensen.
07:33 It goes without saying that Bale would have been a major credit to any Star Wars movie,
07:37 so hopefully the producers will keep him in mind for a future project.
07:41 10. The Imperial Combat Scenes Were Inspired By World War I
07:46 The scenes earlier in the film depicting Han in the midst of combat while enlisted in the
07:49 Imperial Navy were designed to be reminiscent of real-world warfare.
07:53 In particular, these scenes were modeled off of trench warfare from World War I.
07:57 The infantry charges with devastating explosions going off around them, the trench lines, and
08:01 the sheer chaos of it all clearly parallels what you'd expect to see in a more traditional
08:05 war movie.
08:06 Given that much of the original trilogy's aesthetic and style was influenced by World
08:09 War II, even beyond the obviousness of the Empire being Nazis, it's a little poetic
08:14 that this prequel lifts from World War I instead.
08:17 9. Michael K. Williams Originally Played Dryden Vos
08:21 Paul Bettany did a fantastic job playing Dryden Vos, though another celebrated actor
08:26 was not only cast in the part before him, but actually shot some scenes.
08:30 The great Michael K. Williams, who sadly passed away last year, was first cast as Vos and
08:34 shot numerous scenes as the character while Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were directing
08:38 solo.
08:39 But once Ron Howard was brought in to reshoot most of the movie and Williams was called
08:42 back, Williams was sadly unable to return due to scheduling issues, and so Bettany ended
08:47 up taking his place.
08:49 As good as Bettany was in the part, it's a damn, damn shame that we'll never get
08:52 to see an actor of Williams' repute playing around in the Star Wars sandbox.
08:57 8. The Film Was Shot With Vintage Lenses To Create An Aged Aesthetic
09:02 Solo was shot by the fantastically talented Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young,
09:07 who made a bold attempt to film Solo in a style that approximated the look of the original
09:11 trilogy of Star Wars movies.
09:13 Young worked with Panavision to try and track down vintage lenses that would help replicate
09:17 that grittier, dirtier look that he was hoping to achieve.
09:20 Ultimately, Young adjusted some prime DNA lenses by removing their anti-glare coatings
09:25 and detuning them.
09:26 The end result speaks for itself, giving Solo a truer aesthetic relative to the original
09:31 series.
09:32 Even if some audiences used to watching over-lit Hollywood movies and TVs these days complained
09:36 that it looked a little bit too dark, I tell you, you can't win 'em all.
09:40 7. Paul Bettany Was Cast As Dryden Vos After Sending Ron Howard A Hilarious Text
09:46 As mentioned before, Paul Bettany took over the role of Dryden Vos from Michael K. Williams.
09:50 But as for how Bettany himself scored the gig, well, the answer is funnier and way less
09:54 professional than you'd ever expect.
09:56 During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Bettany confirmed that he got
10:00 word of the role being available and sent Ron Howard a hilarious text.
10:03 "Have you ever spent the long winter evenings wondering why you're not in the Star Wars
10:07 franchise? I have."
10:09 Howard replied with, "Lol, I'll get back to you," and that he certainly did.
10:14 6. Enfys Nests Helmet Took Over A Year To Design
10:18 Fittingly for the leader of a pirate gang known as the Cloud Riders, Nests' helmet
10:22 had clearly been assembled from scavenged parts, ensuring that it perfectly informs
10:26 who she is as a character and lets us know a little bit about her before she says or
10:30 does anything.
10:31 The film's costume designer spent roughly a year experimenting with designs for her
10:35 helmet before settling on the final one.
10:37 But in the interest of recycling, the rejected creations were then given to her fellow Cloud
10:41 Riders instead.
10:43 5. Tessa Thompson, Zoe Kravitz, Jessica Henwick, and Others Auditioned For Keira
10:49 As with Han, the role of female lead Keira was intensely sought after in Hollywood, with
10:53 many up-and-coming actresses auditioning or being considered for the part.
10:57 The role, of course, eventually went to Emilia Clarke, but before that, the likes of Tessa
11:00 Thompson, Naomi Scott, Zoe Kravitz, and Jessica Henwick reportedly all had screen tests.
11:06 Honestly, it sounds like the casting department had an embarrassment of riches here, and it's
11:10 pretty easy to imagine just about any of these actresses fitting the bill as Keira, especially
11:13 Thompson and Kravitz.
11:15 4. Dryden Vos' Facial Stripes Were Added Digitally
11:19 As much as we all love the larger-than-life visual effects which root her so firmly in
11:23 the far-flung world of Star Wars, sometimes the best and most impressive effects are the
11:28 invisible ones that you don't even notice.
11:30 Case in point, though you probably assumed that Dryden Vos' facial scars were the result
11:34 of painstaking practical makeup, they were actually added entirely in post.
11:38 After all, even actor Paul Bettany himself didn't know about the scars until Ron Howard
11:42 sent him a photo of the completed effect during post-production.
11:45 3. Darth Maul Voice Actor Peter Serafinowicz Was Replaced During Post-Production
11:52 As mentioned earlier, the voice of Darth Maul was provided by his animated voice actor Sam
11:56 Witwer.
11:57 But this wasn't originally the plan.
11:59 Initially, the production sought to bring back Peter Serafinowicz, who voiced Maul in
12:03 The Phantom Menace.
12:04 Serafinowicz actually recorded Maul's dialogue for the film, but it was ultimately decided
12:08 that his voice didn't really fit the character anymore, what with Witwer being more closely
12:12 associated with Maul through his repeat appearances in animated media.
12:16 Witwer said of the change in an interview with Star Wars Holocron, "I don't want
12:19 to say that Serafinowicz was doing bad.
12:21 It just didn't sound recognizable as the character from The Phantom Menace nor the
12:25 character from Clone Wars.
12:26 It was a totally different thing.
12:28 They need people to recognize the voice, so there it is."
12:31 And yet, according to Serafinowicz, nobody at Lucasfilm opted to inform him until the
12:34 film's premiere, which he evidently hadn't been invited to.
12:38 Yikes.
12:39 2.
12:40 It's the first and only box office bomb in the Star Wars franchise
12:44 Even though Solo released to a fairly muted wave of pre-release hype, it was still a massive
12:49 shock when the film went on to grossly underperform at the box office, netting a worldwide total
12:54 of just $392.2 million, against that rather bloated, aforementioned $275 million budget.
13:01 Realistically, Solo needed to crack at least $500 million globally to be profitable, but
13:06 given that The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi all comfortably netted over
13:10 $1 billion each, it didn't seem like a particularly daunting figure.
13:14 As a result, Solo became the first box office bomb in Star Wars history.
13:18 Though 2008's The Clone Wars animated film only made $68.3 million worldwide, it was
13:23 also produced for a mere $8.5 million, ensuring it actually turned a profit.
13:28 Up until Solo's release, Star Wars seemed practically bulletproof at the box office,
13:32 enough that it caused Lucasfilm and Disney to reconsider their future projects.
13:36 Speaking of which...
13:37 Number 1.
13:38 A Solo Trilogy Was Originally In The Works
13:41 Before Solo bombed, there were plans for an entire trilogy of young Han Solo films, with
13:46 the team contracted for future installments, and with the opportunity to include Han as
13:50 a supporting character in other Star Wars spin-offs.
13:53 The writing staff of Solo stated that they wanted to include the bounty hunter Bosk,
13:57 who is briefly seen in The Empire Strikes Back, in a potential sequel, and considered
14:01 possibly focusing on the Hutt cartel, while Kathleen Kennedy and Donald Glover both talked
14:05 up a potential Lando spin-off.
14:07 Ultimately, all of this was put on ice after Solo catastrophically underperformed, and
14:12 by March 2020, word from Lucasfilm was that Solo 2 was a tough sell.
14:17 But given the many interesting characters introduced in Solo, it'd be a damn shame
14:21 if they weren't put to use in a future Disney+ Star Wars series.
14:26 And there we go, my friends.
14:27 Those were 20 things you didn't know about Solo, a Star Wars story.
14:30 I hope you enjoyed that, and please let me know what you thought about it down in the
14:33 comments section below.
14:34 As always, I've been Jules, you can go follow me over on Twitter @RetroJWithA0, or
14:38 you can swing by Liv and Let's Dice, where I do all my streaming outside of work, and
14:41 it'd be great to see you over there.
14:43 But before I go, I just want to say one thing.
14:45 Hope you treat yourself with love and respect, my friends, because you bloody well deserve
14:48 it, alright?
14:49 And don't let anything or anyone else tell you otherwise, alright?
14:52 You're a massive ledge, now go out there and smash it.
14:55 As always, I've been Jules, you have been awesome, never forget that, and I'll speak
14:59 to you soon.
15:00 Bye.
15:00 Bye.
15:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]