At the Film Independent live stage-reading of The Empire Strikes Back on Thursday night, Ellen Page selected by her Juno director and the event's curator Jason Reitman to read for Han Solo…
... with Jessica Alba stepping into the role of Princess Leia.
The star-studded reading at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles also featured Rainn Wilson in the role of Chewbacca, Aaron Paul as Luke Skywalker, and J.K. Simmons as Darth Vader.
Thx @JasonReitman for a really fun time! #starwarsliveread
Reitman said of the casting:
In casting Han, the most important thing is: Who has the most interesting, ironic approach to life? And when I think of that, I think of Ellen Page. She's a small human being who has the energy to fill Madison Square Garden.
For Leia, I just wanted to find an actress who was beautiful and also had the ability to be tough and funny, and I've seen Alba do all of that. And I needed somebody who would have chemistry with Ellen,
Chemistry is chemistry, whether it be between a man and a woman, two women, or two men. I have no doubt that Ellen Page could have chemistry with anybody.
But did Page nail down the most romantic moment of the film?
"I know." @jessicaalba @JasonReitman
According to those in attendance, Reitman specifically asked the audience not to photograph or record any of the performance.
Downtown at the @filmindependent #StarWarsLiveRead. @aaronpaul_8, @EllenPage, J.K. Simmons and more. Pretty exciting.
Only those lucky enough to witness the reading can let us mere mortals know what happened.
One attendee noted that Page, "mastered every piece of Han’s confidence and his flirtations with Leia."
That's right. Ellen Solo was born and it was beautiful:
My body wasn't ready for #EllenSolo. #StarWarsLiveRead
@EllenPage I've always thought you were neat but now you're living the dream #EllenSolo
#EllenSolo will be the best character ever created
You know who the perfect badass is? #EllenSolo
In case anybody was curious: @EllenPage makes an awesome #hansolo. #StarWarsLiveRead
Oh yes, the force is strong with this one.
