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Spider-Verse's Shameik Moore auditioned for role of young Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story
Sony changed Spider-Man's cinematic destiny forever with the release of Into the Spider-Verse, an animated comedy with striking comic book visuals that turned Marvel's most iconic character on his head.
A lot of that had to do with putting the focus not on Peter Parker, but on Miles Morales, the first Spidey of color, who was voiced by actor and rapper Shameik Moore. In nabbing the role of a lifetime, Moore got to work with executive producers Phil Lord (also a co-writer of the script) and Chris Miller, but it was not the first time their professional paths had crossed.
While speaking with the voice behind Miles, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the 23-year-old actor tried and failed in securing the part of young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which Lord and Miller were directing until Ron Howard took over in the summer of 2017.
"I do not like auditioning," Moore said. "I know what I bring to the table, and if you're sitting down with me, and I'm reading your lines, and I'm giving you my take on the performance, and you're interested in me already — if it doesn't work out afterward, my feelings are hurt. … [Dope director] Rick [Famuyiwa], Kenya [Barris], Phil and Chris, RZA, these are the people that have believed in me and taken a chance."
In the end, the part of Lando went to Donald Glover, who was a die-hard fan of the franchise since he was a young kid when his dad gifted him with a Lando action figure. Moore, on the other hand, admitted that while he's a big lover of genre, he's not that into the galaxy far, far away.
"I like Star Wars and all, but I don't watch Star Wars," he added. I'm more of a Harry Potter guy. I grew up watching 007, Jason Bourne, The Matrix. Those type of movies — and Harry Potter snuck its way in there. The other big franchises like that aren't really what caught my attention. But I would love to be a part of a huge Star Wars movie simply because of how big Star Wars is as a brand."
Lord and Miller were fired as the directors of Solo over creative differences with screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy. Nevertheless, the two still retained producer credits on the finished product.
Lord and Miller's latest feature, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, opened in theaters this weekend. The duo, who directed the first movie, wrote the script and produced the animated sequel at Warner Bros.
Universally praised by critics, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse could take home Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24. A sequel and all-female spinoff are already in the works at Sony.
While there's no word of a Solo follow-up just yet, Billy Dee Williams is set to reprise his role of Lando in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode IX (we're still without an official title!), which hits theaters on Dec. 20 of this year.
