Here's How You Can Go To The 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Premiere Without Leaving Your Couch
This year's May the Fourth was a big one because it was the first held on a year where a Star Wars film would come out the same month. The fan-created, Disney-approved holiday became the day tickets went on sale for Solo: A Star Wars Story, which then proceeded to kick down the current pre-sale record, and is currently projected to perhaps set a Memorial Day box office record on May 25, 2018. But before that, there's the LA premiere on May 10. Here's how to stream the Solo: A Star Wars Story red carpet.
Fans won't get to see the film in wide release prior to May 25, but before this, Solo: A Star Wars Story has several release dates to hit ahead of time. First is the Thursday, May 10, 2018, in Los Angeles, which is expected to be attended by star Alden Ehrenreich, as well as co-stars Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Donald Glover. Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and new Chewbacca Joonas Suotamo are also expected to be on hand.
Though Solo is a prequel of sorts to the original 1977 trilogy, some of the stars of the first films are also showing up, including Mark Hamill, original Chewbacca Peter Mayhew, and Billy Dee Williams, who was a consultant on the film. Notably absent from the roster: Harrison Ford, who was also a consultant.
As for the lucky ones who are invited to attend the Los Angeles premiere, they'll also walk the red carpet. To find out who's showing up, fans can check out the premiere’s official live stream on the Star Wars YouTube channel starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The preparations for the premiere have already shut down Hollywood Blvd. since yesterday. One of the reasons: there's a full-scale model on the Millennium Falcon being constructed outside the TCL Chinese Theater where the film is being screened.
Fans aren't just lining up to get into the first screening of the film. They've also been taking selfies with it. According to Nerdist:
Disney and Lucasfilm are currently building a life size Millennium Falcon right on Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the El Capitan and the TCL Chinese Theater, where the film will be screened tonight. Tons of Star Wars fans have taken photos of the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” being constructed, and have been posting them to social media.
After the premiere in Los Angeles, Solo: A Star Wars Story will be flying across the pond to France. The Star Wars film will be making its debut at the Cannes film festival, though not as part of the competition. It will screen there on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. This is the first time Lucasfilm has screened a Star Wars movie at the Festival since being bought out by Disney. It became something of a regular stop during the prequel era, since all three of those films premieres in the Memorial Day slot, with both 2002’s Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith screening there.
Ten days later, Solo will return to the states for its worldwide debut. Current projections according to Deadline are in the $170 million range.
Sources tell Deadline that Solo‘s tracking is 'pretty strong' with an unaided score of 28 that’s higher than Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($155M, 23 score) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M, 23). Unaided awareness indicates how strong the buzz is on a title among those who are unprompted in polling and it’s a priceless stat off which studios buy their TV ads.
Until then, fans can watch the red carpet together as a family. Solo: A Star Wars Story opens on May 25, 2018.