The new 'Star Wars' Han Solo spin-off will be called 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'.

Ron Howard's Star Wars announcement (c) Twitter

Ron Howard's Star Wars announcement (c) Twitter

Ron Howard - who took over the directorial role from Phil Lord and Chris Miller - appeared in a video posted on Twitter to announce the film's title as he confirmed filming had wrapped on the Han Solo-led story.

Appearing in the video, Howard said: "As we wrap up production, I just want to take this moment to thank the talented cast and crew for all their hard work. And to the fans out there, I hope you've enjoyed the pictures I've been sharing - photos I've taken from the set."

He then turns to speak to someone off-screen - later revealed to be legendary Wookiee warrior Chewbacca, asking if "we can even say the name of the movie" yet.

A board is handed to Howard by Chewie, which he then flips to reveal the title art.

Smiling at the camera, Howard tells the fans: "I'll see you next year."

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' follows the story of Han Solo, the captain of the Millennium Falcon and one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. The movie will focus on a younger version of the titular character, with Alden Ehrenreich taking over the iconic role from Harrison Ford.

Han and Chewbacca will be seen first meeting Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and they will also encounter Woody Harrelson's alter-ego Beckett, who is believed to be a mentor to young Han who guides him on his journey to becoming a space smuggler.

And Howard recently revealed two new characters who will be appearing in the hotly-anticipated movie - Star Wars' comic book characters Tag and Bink.

Captioning a selfie with the pair, Howard wrote: "#tagandbink ? (sic)"

The characters were created by Kevin Rubio for 'Tag & Bink Were Here', a series of comic books which spoofed 'Star Wars', in which the pair affect the events of the first and second trilogies.

Rubio was delighted to see his creations were going to get a cameo on the big screen. In response to Ron's tweet, he wrote: "#HOLYCRAP Ron Howard just made my comic #OfficialCanon #Thanks Ron! (sic)"

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' is slated for release in May 2018.

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