With the eagerly anticipated Star Wars installment The Force Awakens due out in cinemas at Christmas, many loyal fans of the epic space saga unsurprisingly have a bad feeling about whether the film will prove to be a big success. Look at how The Phantom Menace turned out….

But since creator George Lucas handed over control of his beloved franchise to Disney, the huge corporation have been making plans to extend the Star Wars story through a group of origin films focusing on iconic characters from the classic trilogy.

Although the prequel trilogy (1999-2005) took us back to the early days of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, etc, there was one particular figure whose past was never explored….until now.

Last night saw the Star Wars website confirm that the cocky space smuggler-turned-Rebellion pilot Han Solo would be getting his own origins film.

Portrayed in the original trilogy by the legendary Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones series), Solo’s backstory will also be helmed by twin directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

The pair have built up a strong reputation for their work in recent years which has included the crude comedy 21 Jump Street and its sequel 22 Jump Street as well as the hugely successful animated hit The LEGO Movie.

The duo issued a statement talking about their involvement in the Han Solo film:

“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with. We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us.

“They’re two of the smartest, funniest and most original filmmakers around, and the ideal choice to tell the story of Han Solo, one of the coolest characters in the galaxy.”