With three weeks left until Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story debuts on the big screen, all eyes are on the Star Wars spinoff to flesh out the mythology of the fan-favorite smuggler in a major way. One key element of that story is his affinity for gambling, which will ultimately bring him up against Lando Calrissian in a card game that many fans are dying to see. In fact, ahead of the film's upcoming release, a 360-degree video has debuted online allowing viewers to actually get an in-depth look at the hand that may have seen the Millennium Falcon change hands. Check out the video, below!
True to the western vibe of Solo: A Star Wars Story, this clip plays out like something from a classic Hollywood period piece. Han approaches the table and politely sits down, and we're treated to a tense scene as Solo and Lando attempt to bluff each other and win the hand. The cocky bravado of Han shines through and balances out the relaxed charm of Lando until the latter gambler eventually decides to put their ships on the table to up the bet and sweeten the deal.
The scene fades out from there, but given everything that we already know about the Star Wars franchise, it's safe to say that we know who wins in the end. Spoiler alert: it's probably Han.
An obvious thing to address about this video is the fact that it's basically a perfect use of the 360-camera format that has become more and more common in recent years. Other marketing campaigns for films (recent examples include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Don't Breathe) have similarly allowed audiences to get in on the action with the free-moving camera, but a gambling situation seems like a particularly good use of the technology. Rather than cutting back and forth between Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover in the tense scene, the whole thing plays out in real time, and we can simply pan around the entire table to examine whatever character we want to look at - including unnamed gamblers who are also sitting at the table.
Of course, if you want an even closer look at this legendary moment from the Star Wars canon, you can check it out in theaters later this month when Solo: A Star Wars Story debuts on the big screen on May 25. Looking ahead to next year, the central Star Wars saga will continue when Episode IX premieres on December 20, 2019, so make sure to stay tuned for all of CinemaBlend's in-depth coverage of the sci-fi/fantasy franchise!
