‘Star Wars’ fans launch social media campaign for ‘Solo 2’
In one of the most baffling pieces of movie news this week, Star Wars fans have launched a campaign to ‘Make Solo 2 happen,’ complete with a hashtag, and even a t-shirt.
Yes, 2018’s perfectly serviceable Star Wars spin-off (which was actually the first instalment of the franchise to lose money at the box office) has ignited the positive passion of Star Wars fans in a way that hasn’t been seen since they somehow decided that the prequel trilogy was good after all.
Happy #MakeSolo2Happen Day!
Use the hashtag, spread the word! Let's get a follow up movie or series made to continue the incredibly fun adventures of Han and Chewie and the other great characters we saw in #SoloAStarWarsStory! #StarWars pic.twitter.com/QgcdZ6Ixx9— John Hoey (@JohnnyHoey) May 23, 2019
Starring Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Solo: A Star Wars Story was set between the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, and was met with a muted reception by fans and critics alike when it hit cinemas last May.
It ended with a hint of future films to comes, potentially featuring Jabba the Hutt, but a low box office seems to have those plans on hold.
Read more: Knights Of The Old Republic movie finds a writer
It’s a hard fanbase to keep up with.
One moment they’re bashing The Last Jedi, the next they’re celebrating a fairly average franchise entry. Still, at least the movement is mostly positive this time, so that’s worth cheering.
I gotta be honest, once we broke “the bubble” I expect some hate towards the cause, but I have simply not seen it.
———
Everything around this # has been pure positivity. #MakeSolo2Happen pic.twitter.com/g01PV2XqnM— James Baney (@Mirahtrunks) May 23, 2019
As for whether the campaign will be successful, that’s another (Star Wars) story. The failure of the original sent shockwaves through Disney quicker than debris from an exploding planet. It not only led to the cancellation of the whole ‘A Star Wars Story’ concept, it pretty much ended the tradition of releasing Star Wars movies in May.
Read more: How Phantom Menace created toxic fandom
And not everyone wants it - just look at the replies on this thread for proof.
Ron Howard retweeted the #MakeSolo2Happen campaign 👀 pic.twitter.com/kIWbBc4fGm
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) May 24, 2019
Still, Ron Howard is up for doing more - and has some ideas for a sequel.
“Potentially one would think it might be kind of interesting to see what a war amongst the Syndicates looks like,” he told Empire Magazine.
“There’s nothing concrete there, but that’s interesting territory. In what movie and through which character’s perspective that might emerge... I think everybody feels like that’s rich territory to explore in the movie universe.”
