Jonathan Kasdan Says ‘Solo’ Was Inspired By Michael Mann Films ‘Heat’ And ‘Thief’

It’s almost always a bit cringe-worthy when big blockbuster, popcorn filmmakers reference masterworks when trying to describe their own films. We see it a lot with Marvel Studios, where filmmakers always try to compare their latest superhero romp to some classic film. Recently, the writers of “Avengers: Infinity War,” compared their film to Robert Altman’s “Nashville,” for example. Well, one of the writers of the upcoming “Solo: A Star Wars Story” has a couple films he thinks line up well with the upcoming Han Solo origin story.

READ MORE: George Lucas Had Been Developing A Han Solo Movie Before The Disney Deal

“Part of the challenge is to come up with new, inventive kinds of action we haven’t seen in ‘Star Wars,’” writer Jonathan Kasdan said, in an interview with Empire. “We often referenced ‘Heat’ and ‘Thief’ as high-end criminals doing serious jobs that involve huns and big hijackings.”

Oh boy. So, the young Kasdan thinks that there are elements of ‘Solo’ that resemble “Heat” and “Thief,” which are incredible films by the master of crime filmmaking, Michael Mann. No offense to those who worked on ‘Solo,’ but we doubt there’s going to be any comparisons between that film and “Heat.”

We also have been treated to a new picture that features the mysterious character, Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany. The character of Dryden Vos has a bit of controversy surrounding him. Originally set to be portrayed as a half-human/half-lion creature played by Michael K. Williams, the character was recast when director Ron Howard was brought on board. And as seen in the picture, the character is most definitely not a lion, instead just a scarred baddie.

There’s also a bit of intrigue about the decidedly Boba Fett-ish Mandalorian armor that’s behind the character. Could this be a hint about Fett being involved in the story? Or is it just another Easter Egg for fans of the universe? Probably the latter.

Finally, here’s a new TV spot to get you hyped for the film’s release:

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is set to hit theaters May 25.