Harrison Ford Turned Down Han Solo Role

eldavojohn writes "It's being widely reported that Harrison Ford turned down a £20 million deal to play Han Solo once again in a George Lucas spin off of Star Wars. The source of this information seems to be a tabloid called bangshowbiz. Harrison was approached by Lucas with two roles but instead opted for the same amount to play Indiana Jones for the fourth time. Could the spin off centered on the rugged Han Solo save the Star Wars franchise from its prequels or would it have been another mediocre release disappointing demanding fans?"

you tell me...

[macadamia_harold]

Could the spin off centered on the rugged Han Solo save the Star Wars franchise from its prequels or would it have been another mediocre release disappointing demanding fans?

Given that Lucas most likely would have partnered Han with a squadron of Jar Jar's children and a midget in a monkey constume, I think that questions answers itself.

Star Wars 7

[Coucho]

Revenge of the damn kid who is always on my lawn!

Does it matter?

[RichPowers]

Lucasfilm would have to apply so many effects to the aging Harrison Ford that they might as well computer generate him from the get-go :P

R2D2

[Tablizer]

R2D2 turned down the droid role. They are contacting a Jack-in-the-Box garbage can now for the part.

contract stipulation...

[Anonymous Coward]

The deal fell through because Ford stipulated in the contract that greedo couldn't shoot first.

Re:Good

[Divebus]

Hey, I'll do it for half that much. Call my cell, George.

Benjamin Bucks.

[Anonymous Coward]

"It's being widely reported that Harrison Ford turned down a £20 million deal to play Han Solo once again in a George Lucas spin off of Star Wars."

NOW were are the posters proclaiming how this is a good thing that another actor doesn't get paid too much money?

Hooray for the geezer patrol

[freeweed]

Could the spin off centered on the rugged Han Solo save the Star Wars franchise from its prequels

I guess if "rugged" is the new word for "over the hill", then possibly.

Is Lucas TRYING to emulate Trek here? ie: Keep re-using the same geriatrics until enough are in the grave that you have no choice but to finally re-cast the character?

No! That's not why!!!

[erroneus]

He told George he just couldn't face being stuck in a spaceship with Chewbacca again.

This isn't the reason why he didn't want to play the role again... he knew he was supposed to be married to Carrie Fisher! And have you seen her lately?! YIKES!!! I think he'd *RATHER* kiss a Wookie!

Re:Thank god he declined

[DoofusOfDeath]

I will never watch another Star Wars thing he does again.

I'm going to have to call BS on your oath. When the old Star Wars Christmas Special comes out on DVD, you'll be first in line, guaranteed. ;)

What about the twins?

[gridsleep]

I can imagine them getting Carrie Fisher back to play a skinny, bhang-smoking Leia, sitting by her pool overlooking Naboo. "Pool-boy! Moisture! AAAaaaaa-aaahh.....!" And Luke trying to look all Jedi while resisting the urge to sulk or stare wistfully into the sunset. Would Chewie be buying Grecian Formula 16 by the 55-gallon drum? I think we have the workings of a SNL sketch here.

Re:Oh god...

[PCM2]

Mr. Lucas, why are you asking me to bend over again?

Probably because you've done it three times already and he knows a cheap date when he sees one.

Re:What about the twins?

[erroneus]

Fisher is to play the illegitimate offspring of Leia and Jabba... they didn't talk about it much, but Fisher is just PERFECT for the part.

Re:Benjamin Bucks.

[mrchaotica]

NOW w[h]ere are the posters proclaiming how this is a good thing that another actor doesn't get paid too much money?

They have nothing to proclaim, because if you'd read the fucking summary (let alone the article) you'd see that Harrison Ford "instead opted for the same amount [of money] to play Indiana Jones for the fourth time" (emphasis added).

Re:Good

[Crash McBang]

Poser.

The appropriate response is "Have your people call my people".

Re:you tell me...

[iamdrscience]

Actually, even better, how about a monkey in a midget costume?

Re:Thank god he declined

[EonBlueTooL]

I think I speak for all star wars fans when I say "What prequels."

Re:R2D2

[Anonymous Coward]

nah, he's probably been outsourced now. Got a dwarf in from india at 1/100th of kenny's rate.

Gonna light a bonfire, fuel it with my karma...

[Mr. Roadkill]

Okay, here's the REAL deal.

Harrison Ford took the Indiana Jones role over the Han Solo one because it's going to be a much better movie.

The rumour that it takes place in the sixties is true, and fits in nicely with the Mr Ford's present age.

What hasn't been widely revealed is that Sean Connory *will* be in the movie, although the role will probably surprise many people.

Since Satan owns the pink slip for the soul of pretty much everyone who has ever worked in motion pictures, he can shuffle the deck however he sees fit... and some interesting studio mergers mean that Sean Connory will play an elderly James Bond who fell through a temporal rift as the result of Xindi interference with Earth history - the theory being that if they could get all the kids hooked on beer and acid and dope then warp drive would never be invented. Little did they realise that Optimus Prime would ride in on My Little Pony and save the day by assassinating Kennedy and illegitimately fathering Rosie ODonnell with, you guessed it, Rosie ODonnell - who fell through the same temporal rift James Bond fell through. Pygmies re-discover left-over gou'auld technology that permits them to build hypersonic blow-dart weapons, which are capable of destroying ICBMs and thereby save the USA from the tyranny of total destruction when they decide to make the Ukraine glow in the dark...which happens two-thirds of the way through the movie, because the Ark of the Covenant (which was stolen from Area 51 by the Xindi) has been given to the Russians, who are using it to try to re-animate a cut-n-shunt SuperPolitician they've made from the cryogenically preserved remains of Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin and Walt Disney - but exposure to nuclear fallout causes this re-animated monstrosity to sprout wings and fly to Tokyo, where as Mothra it does battle with Godzilla until Indiana Jones...

Sorry, I've given too much away already. You'll just have to buy a ticket like everybody else.

Re:Demanding fans?

[Mateito]

Star Wars Zero

That would be the Christmas Special.

MOD PARENT UP

[IL-CSIXTY4]

I remember reading that Lucas was inspired by Flash Gordon and the like, those campy movie serials. The good guys wear white, the bad guys wear black, the rogue wears both...and I'm not sure how the stormtroopers or Chewbacca fit into this. There's action, suspense, romance, intrigue, and then the good guys win.

Re:Does it matter?

[dorianh49]

Meesa Han Solo Binks, precious!

aaaaaagh!

[dreddnott]

Dude, please! Use the spoilers tag next time!

Re:Good

[Plaid Phantom]

And the Web 2.0 response is "Post a comment on my blog.".

Re:Good

[Harmonious Botch]

He couldn't face being stuck in a spaceship with an 8-ft tall alien who refuses to wear pants.

Re:The Real Problem: Harrison Ford or George Lucas

[KillerCow]

Marsha Lucus (George's ex-wife) was the one with the talent - she edited his films so that they weren't shit.

It's always about Marcia!

Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

Re:Good

[flyingsquid]

He was asked if he would ever consider reprising the role of Han Solo. He said, no. He said he didn't like the character of Han at all. When asked if he would consider playing Indiana Jones again, his immediate response was "In a second". Ford like Jones and doesn't like Solo. It's as simple as that. He has the luxury of being able to pick his roles.

I don't get it. Why can't George Lucas just digitally remaster things so Harrison Ford agrees to play Han Solo?

Re:Dont rejoice

[lysergic.acid]

I thought Ewan McGregor was great. They shoulda done Anakin in CG like they did with Yoda though...

Re:Good

[Digital Vomit]

Or, better yet, make Ford ask Lucas for the role of Han Solo first.

Re:Thank god he declined

[Anonymous Coward]

These are not the prequels you are looking for.

Re:Good

[SirWinston]

> Not to mention Indiana Jones is a much more physically demanding role,
> assuming the movie isn't just about Dr. Jones becoming a crotchety,
> washed up academic.

Potential titles for another Indy trilogy:

Raiders of the Lost Dentures
Indiana Jones and the Hemorrhoid Cream of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Bran Muffin

Raiders of the Girls Old Enough to be Their Granddaughters
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Erectile Dysfunction
Indiana Jones and the Little Blue Pill

Raiders of the Shuffleboard Deck
Indiana Jones and the Broken Hip of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Budget Mobility Scooter

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Thank god he declined

[alienmole]

I can watch waterworld and not see waterworld

<neo>
Whoa.
</neo>

Re:No! That's not why!!!

[alienmole]

There's some cult of eye makeup artists in California that believes in heavy racoon-like black eye outlines for older women. They've gotten to Nancy Pelosi, too.

Re:Good

[Noexit]

Wow. You have _got_ to be fun at a party.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

When modding, if I read 'funny', I mod 'insightful' to give karma.

"When modding, I abuse the moderation system."

There, fixed that for ya.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

You forgot "Indiana Jones and the Goblet of Fire".

Re:The Real Problem: Harrison Ford or George Lucas

[tehcyder]

Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ewan McGregor were all in the cast

Great quote from the New Yorker review: "all of them look as if they were recently abused by robots".

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

When modding, if I read 'funny', I mod 'insightful' to give karma.

"When modding, I abuse the moderation system." There, fixed that for ya.

"When modding, I work around deficiencies in the moderation system."

"When modding, I masturbate to Susan Somers."

There, fixed that for ya.