Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Alden Ehrenreich has been cast as a young Han Solo. Picture: Supplied

Hollywood sources told The New York Post that Ehrenreich has signed on to play the iconic role, made famous by Harrison Ford, in the new movie, slated for 2018, which will focus on Solo before he joined the Rebel Alliance.

Alden Ehrenreich in film Hail, Caesar! Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Picture: SuppliedSource:News Corp Australia

One insider told us of Ehrenreich, 26, who most recently appeared in Hail, Caesar!: “Alden really impressed Disney and Lucasfilm execs with his screen tests. The deal is basically done.”

Relatively little-known Ehrenreich — who’s also the lead in Warren Beatty’s upcoming, untitled Howard Hughes project — beat out candidates including Divergent stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort, Kingsman and Eddie the Eagle star Taron Egerton, and Sing Street star Jack Reynor.

Ansel Elgort was close to getting the role. Picture: APSource:AP

Whiplash star Miles Teller was in the running for the role. Picture: Getty

he casting of the Han Solo character has been so shrouded in secrecy it was named Project Red Cup, in reference to the ubiquitous red plastic Solo cups.

The Han Solo spin-off is being produced and scripted by Lawrence Kasdan — who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens — with his son Jon Kasdan, Deadline reported.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is also producing.

Taron Egerton, who started in Eddie the Eagle with Hugh Jackman also went for the role. Picture: GettySource:Getty Images

Jack Reynor from Transformers: Age of Extinction was also considered for the Han Solo role. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Kasdan said in a recent Q&A that the spin-off would not delve into the origins of Solo — “It will not be, ‘Here’s where he was born and this is how he was raised.’ I think what it will be is, ‘What was he like 10 years earlier?’ ... But [legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira] Kurosawa once said the heroes are the ones that are still changing and the villains are locked and petrified into what they are.”

Actor Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian (L) and Harrison Ford Han Solo in scene from Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back. Picture: SuppliedSource:News Limited

The film won’t start shooting until January, but reports are that the early casting is because the new Solo will have a cameo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is now shooting.

That film is said to be set between Episode III and Episode IV.

Reps for Ehrenreich didn’t get back to us.

This article originally appeared in The New York Post