Ron Howard Takes The Helm For Star Wars Han Solo Movie

After a the firing of Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the untitled “Star Wars: Han Solo” film this week, it’s now confirmed that Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard has officially signed on to complete the film. Lord and Miller departed due to a creative clash with Lucasfilm President/Producer Kathleen Kennedy and long-time “Star Wars” screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.

With a May 2018 release date scheduled for “Han Solo,” the studio was under huge pressure to find a worthy replacement to helm the film. With Howard now on board, the creative team is ready once again to get the project rolling.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller at WonderCon. Photo by Will Forte via Wikimedia Commons.

Ron Howard’s Saves The Day For The Star Wars: Han Solo Film

Lucasfilm made the announcement on StarWars.com. Howard will now head over to the set to meet with the main cast—Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson and Donald Glover—to discuss what needs to be done/redone and review the initial cut of the film.

Ron Howard in The Da Vinci Code (2006). Photo by Simon Mein (Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)

According to Kennedy, filming with resume on July 10th. Three and a half weeks of filming were left unfinished by Lord and Miller for principal photography and five weeks of reshoots. Here’s what Kennedy had to say:

“At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. 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.”

Ron Howard in Made in America (2013). Photo via Phase 4 Films.

Changing Of Styles For Han Solo

It will be interesting to see how fans would react to this good news. Howard’s style is definitely different from Lord and Miller’s, which is reportedly “too comedic,” according to a report from Entertainment Weekly. The report says that both directors were under the impression of directing a comedy film for “Han Solo” (which would be a first and an interesting feat for the Star Wars universe).

Lucasfilm was looking for a more “grounded” space opera with a little bit of comedy like the previous “Star Wars” films. The directors also encouraged the cast to go off-script and improvise, whereas the studio wanted the directors to have a “responsibility to tell the story as written.” Obviously, both the directors and the studio had extremely conflicting ideas for the movie.

Ron Howard and Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon (2008). Photo via Universal Pictures.

Hopefully with Howard, the studio will now have a more relaxed demeanor. The director can be considered as a “safe” choice for fans who are hoping that “Han Solo” can be a little more than how the way “Star Wars” films feel.

Incidentally, this is not the first time Howard has been tapped to join the galaxy far, far away. Back in the late 90’s, the director was approached by George Lucas to helm “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” The director declined and passed it along. High hopes are in for the “Han Solo” movie; and Howard needs to suit up, as this also comes as a change of pace for the director.

The untitled Han Solo film is slated for a May 25, 2018, release.