Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the writer and lead actor in acclaimed sitcom Fleabag, is in talks to join the Han Solo movie, provisionally titled Red Cup. The film, which shoots this spring for release in May 2018, stars Alden Ehrenreich as a younger incarnation of the charming space pilot.
Variety reports that the role would be “CGI-driven … but still a significant part of the ensemble, similarly to key Star Wars characters in the past like Chewbacca, C-3P0 and most recently, Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO in Rogue One”.
Already confirmed in the supporting cast are Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke. Directors are The Lego Movie team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller; last month Miller tweeted a photo from the first day of shooting, which also revealed the film’s working title.
As with last Christmas’s spin-off, Rogue One, the film will be set prior to the 1977 Star Wars film, A New Hope. Rogue One has won praise from the critics and taken more than a $1bn (£796m) worldwide.
Waller-Bridge began her acting career on TV shows such as Broadchurch and Drifters. She also had small roles on the big screen in The Iron Lady and Albert Nobbs. She will soon be seen in a biopic of Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne.
Fleabag featured on many critics’ and publications’ top 10 of the best TV of 2016; it was also nominated in multiple categories at the Critics’ Choice TV Awards and the Broadcast awards.
