EMILIA 'GEEKED UP' FOR HER NEW ROLE

Actor Emilia Clarke says that it’s exciting to play a strong female character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Clarke, famous as Daenerys Targaryen in the TV hit Game of Thrones and also as the caregiver Lou in the romantic drama Me Before You (2016), will be seen as Qi’ra in the new science-fiction film.

She says in a statement, “It is really exciting. As someone who has taken on characters that already exist, which can be really daunting and scary, it’s been really fun to slip a new character in here that is integral to a character (Solo) that we all know so well.”

Han Solo is a character that appeared in the first Star Wars trilogy — the first movie released in 1977 — and was made iconic by actor Harrison Ford. Solo and Qi’ra are kind of comrades in this Star Wars spin-off, in which the title role is played by Alden Ehrenreich.

“I did a lot of research and I kind of geeked up on a lot of stuff because I wanted to get it right,” says Clarke. On how she got involved, she says, “Seeing The Force Awakens (the seventh Star Wars film, released in 2015) was incredible. It’s such an incredible piece of work and so stunning, because of how great Lucasfilm can make things look on-screen now. So it’s this beloved story that you’ve grown up with that’s been given a whole new makeover, and an opportunity to be part of that is too good to miss.”

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the second spin-off in the series after Rogue One (2016). It shows how Solo meets Chewbacca, who’d become his co-pilot and friend for life. The film releases on May 25.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Emilia Clarke