Solo: A Star Wars Story is now in cinemas, bringing to an end a troubled journey to the big screen, which saw Lucasfilm enlisting Ron Howard after firing original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller with just weeks of filming remaining.
Given its production troubles, with Howard reportedly reshooting around 70% of the movie, this news may come as little surprise, but Solo has officially become the most expensive Star Wars movie to date with an estimated budget of $250 million.
The previous record of $245 million was set by 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi estimated at $225 million and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story $220 million. The original Star Wars movie cost just $11 million to produce, which – when adjusted for inflation – is around $45 million.
Solo is tracking a worldwide opening in the region of $300 million to $340 million and will likely go on to turn a profit for Disney and Lucasfilm, but given its hefty budget – and factoring in marketing costs – it will presumably need to gross around $800 million to $900 million worldwide to do so.
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new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.
Solo: A Star Wars Story features Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) as the famous smuggler, Donald Glover (Atlanta) as Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson (War for the Planet of the Apes) as Tobias Beckett, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) as L3-37, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Qi’Ra, Thandie Newton (Westworld) as Val, Ian Kenny (Sing Street) as Rebolt, Harley Durst (Wonder Woman) as Moloch, Jon Favreau (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Rio Durant, Paul Bettany (Avengers: Infinity War) as Dryden Vos and Warwick Davis (Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi) as Weazel.
