Rumor: Jabba the Hutt to appear in Star Wars: Han Solo

It wouldn’t be a Han Solo origin story without the inclusion of the slimiest villain this side of the Outer Rim — Jabba the Hutt…

Now that the drama from Lucasfilm’s firing of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller has come and gone, news and information about who, or what may be in the untitled Han Solo standalone movie has begun to show up around the internet.

Case in point, Screen Rant has scooped up a rumor from YouTube channel That Hashtag Show, that Jabba the Hutt will be appearing in the Han Solo film. According to the rumor, Jabba was to play a significant role in Lord and Miller’s version of the film. And, even though Ron Howard has taken over for the writing/directing pair, they don’t expect anything to change.

The rumor also sheds some light on how Jabba will appear in the film. Instead of an all-CGI version of the galactic gangster, Jabba the Hutt will be a combination of animatronics and CGI, helping to bring a blended version of the character from the original Star Wars trilogy, special editions, and the prequels.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

Jabba the Hutt first appeared in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi (but was added to the 1997 A New Hope special edition) and was brought to life through puppeteers David Barclay, Toby Philpott, and Mike Edmonds. There is no word yet on who will be the puppeteers for the Han Solo film but with J.J. Abrams breathing life back into the franchise with The Force Awakens — using practical effects and puppets throughout — we do expect Jabba to be more puppet, than CGI.

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We want to hear from you: Are you excited to see a new version of Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars: Han Solo? Let’s discuss in the comments below.