Ron Howard To Finish Directing "Star Wars" Han Solo Spin-Off
Academy Award-winning director and former child actor Ron Howard is stepping in to finish filming the untitled "Star Wars" stand alone film centered on a young Han Solo.
Per a release by Lucasfilm and released Thursday morning, the "Apollo 13" director will be finishing the photography and post-production of the film as it neared completion. The news comes off the heels of Tuesday's firing of writer/directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
"We’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film," Kathleen Kennedy, producer and Lucasfilm President, in the statement designed to reassure fans. "We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”
The duo experienced "creative differences" while in the middle of production after clashing with Kennedy and co-writer/executive producer Lawrence Kasdan. Lord and Miller, who had previously overseen “The LEGO Movie” and “21 Jump Street,” wanted to inject more humor into the story and encouraged improvisation on set, something Kasdan did not appreciate.
Reshoots are to be expected on blockbuster films, but a new director stepping in to finish filming when 75% of the film is done could signal trouble. "Godzilla" director Gareth Edwards reportedly butted heads with executives at Lucasfilm over the direction "Rogue One", leading to Disney hiring "Bourne" writer/director Tony Gilroy to film extensive reshoots for the project.
The untitled Han Solo film will feature Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, actor/musician Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, and Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson in currently unnamed roles. It is still slated for a May 25, 2018, release.
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