Ron Howard is now directing the Han Solo film, and this sounds like a clear-cut situation for comedy
Take a deep breath, because it’s official: Ron Howard is joining the Star Wars universe. The director is taking over the still-untitled Han Solo film.
The reveal comes just days after Lucasfilm released a statement confirming the departure of the previous directors, The Lego Movie’s Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and the directors both released statements, each citing things along the lines of “creative differences.”
Kennedy has now released a second statement, announcing Howard’s hiring:
"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, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, explained in a statement on StarWars.com. “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.
Lord and Miller had reportedly clashed with Kennedy over the comedic nature of the film, and supposedly filming on the project only has three weeks left. The production had even been halted while the directors and Kennedy worked to find a consensus on the project. Filming will resume next month.
After the news of Lord and Miller’s departure broke, the Star Wars fan universe quickly descended into chaos and memes, with many wondering how the firing would impact the production schedule.
Despite the production drama, Lucasfilm insists that the film will keep its May 2018 release date. Tell your friends.
