Han Solo 'Star Wars' Prequel Begins Production

Star Wars fans got a peek at a new thing to get excited about this week with the release of a cast photo from the upcoming Han Solo-focused prequel film. Along with the photo came news that the movie has gone into production, so fans can now officially go into full-on anticipation mode.

The photo was staged in the iconic cockpit of the Milennium Falcon, and it pictures Alden Ehrenreich, who will play Han Solo in the film; Donald Glover, who will play Lando Calrissian; Joonas Suotamo in his Chewbacca costume; and other cast members Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Also pictured are the film's directors, Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

Disney also announced that the film had begun production on Monday of this week at Pinewood Studios in London.

The Han Solo prequel, which doesn't have an official title yet, is scheduled for release on May 25, 2018. That date is significant because Stars Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the franchise's first film and a chronological successor to this prequel film, was released on May 25, 1977.

The prequel will be a test of Disney's ambitious and accelerated release schedule for its Star Wars properties. The main saga film, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, is scheduled for release on December 15, 2017, and the gap between it and the Han Solo film will be the shortest ever between two Star Wars films.