Star Wars: Alden Ehrenreich (above) has been confirmed to star as young Han Solo in an upcoming Star Wars spin-off adventure. Now an unconfirmed rumor claims that Ehrenreich has been signed to a three-picture deal, opening up possibilities for further adventures if the first movie is successful. Of course, it's not unusual nowadays for stars to have multiple-picture deals for prospective franchise entries, but we'll wait to see what happens. The untitled Han Solo movie is set for release on May 25, 2018. [NY Daily News]
Moana: We've known for a while that Dwayne Johnson is voicing a lead role in Disney's Moana, opposite young newcomer Auli'i Cravolho as the titular character. Now members of the supporting voice cast have been revealed, including Jemaine Clement as a lobster named Tamatoa (above), Rachel House as Moana's grandmother, Alan Tudyk as a rooster named Heihei, and Temuera Morrison and Nicole Scherzinger as Moana's parents, Tui and Sina. The movie will open in theaters on November 23. [THR]
Kubo and the Two Strings: Shortly before the animated movie Kubo and the Two Strings opens in theaters on August 19, an interactive event titled "From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience" will be presented at Universal Studios Hollywood from August 5-14. The event "will showcase the evolution of Laika’s handcrafted stop-motion animation and visual effects that will come to life in four themed rooms. The display will feature original sets, puppets and props." The company's previous releases include ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. [Variety]
Ben-Hur Trailer: A new trailer for Ben-Hur introduces the former slave (Jack Huston) and his mentor (Morgan Freeman) before focusing on a monumental chariot race involving Ben-Hur's brother (Toby Kebbell). The movie will race into theaters on August 19. [Movieclips]
