Star Wars: Dave Franco reveals crew 'struggling' to cast young Han Solo

'Do they want someone to perfectly embody who Harrison Ford is, or do they want to go a completely different route?'

Han Solo (LucasFilm)

There are very few characters in cinema as iconic as Han Solo, the lovable rogue played by Harrison Ford in Star Wars.

Disney is attempting to create a spin-off film about the nerf-herder, with fans incredibly anxious to find out which young actor has been cast as the lead.

It should come as no surprise that those auditioning for the role have struggled to balance imitating Ford and creating their own iteration of the character.

When asked whether he tried to do an impression of Ford for his audition, Dave Franco - best known for his roles in Neighbours and 21 Jump Street (and being James Franco’s brother) - described the immense pressure he was under.

Dave Franco (Getty)

“No, I’m not good with impressions or anything like that. I think that’s the reason why it’s so hard to cast this role,” he told MTV.

“Do they want someone to perfectly embody who Harrison Ford is, or do they want to go a completely different route? Do they want someone to look really similar to him? I don’t know, I think they’re struggling with that.”

Already on board the spin-off are directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the brains behind such on-paper-terrible-ideas (but actually brilliant films) as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie and the rebooted Jump Street series. Surely, if anyone can surmount the pressure, it’s them.

Hail, Caesar!’s Alden Ehrenreich is currently believed to be the frontrunner to take the role, having outshone previous contenders Taron Egerton and Jack Reynor.

Very little else is known about the project except Laurence Kasdan - who wrote The Force Awakens, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark - is on board to write and produce. The film is also said to act as an origins story for Chewbacca.

Meanwhile, Disney’s other Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One, recently received its first trailer, showing Felicity Jones in action. Reports have pointed to Spencer Wilding - of Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy fame - appearing in the film as Darth Vader.