Originally published June 21, 2017. Updated November 30, 2022.
It was announced late last night that Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directing team for the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars spinoff, have been removed from the project.
While we don’t know the exact details of their departure, save for reports that their style clashed with that of screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan’s vision for the movie, this does leave a huge hole in production; who will replace them? The movie is releasing in less than a year, and there is certainly time to finish production, but there is still a lot of work to do this early in the production process. As it happens, rumors of directors are already sprouting up, and the biggest name to be thrown around is none other than Ron Howard. According to Deadline, Howard is likely the man for the job.
Howard would be an excellent choice to step in and finish the movie. He has two Academy Award nominations, and one win (A Beautiful Mind). Obviously, the guy has talent. Also, Howard knows how to convey speed on screen. Remember Rush with Chris Hemsworth, and Daniel Bruhl? That movie had incredible racing sequences, and we know that Han Solo is going to feature plenty of high-speed action. Howard is the sure-bet.
Also rumored are directors Lawrence Kasdan and Joe Johnston. Kasdan was co-writer for the Han Solo movie, as well as The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens; The man clearly understands the universe, and can step right in (although DGA rules may complicate matters, as they state that someone already working on a movie cannot replace an outgoing director). Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger, The Rocketeer) is another Star Wars veteran, working on the visual effects for The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Both would be great to keep the movie on track, and possibly improve on it.
Of the names rumored, there really is no bad choice. Does Disney go with a man who has won an Oscar for directing, or two men who know the universe like the back of their hand? Who would you like to step in to direct the Han Solo spinoff? Let us know in the comments below…
Han Solo stars Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) as the famous smuggler, Donald Glover (Atlanta) as Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson (War for the Planet of the Apes) as Beckett (Solo’s mentor), Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Thandie Newton (Westworld), Ian Kenny (Sing Street) and Michael K. Williams (The Night Of) in as-yet-unrevealed roles. It is set for release on May 25th 2018.
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