Ron Howard Front-Runner To Take Over Han Solo Spinoff

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The “Star Wars” franchise has no shortage of historical moments, but few have been as shocking as last night’s news that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have exited the currently filming Han Solo spinoff with only weeks left on the shoot. Even the rockiest of blockbuster productions rarely see directors leave before scheduled filming is set to end, but it’s becoming clear that the Han Solo project saw a creative rift between Lord/Miller and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy that couldn’t be mended. The most important question right now is who will guide the remaining weeks of filming and this summer’s reshoots, and it hasn’t taken long for some names to surface.

Ron Howard has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the Han Solo film. His name might not be the most exciting one for fans, but he’s a veteran who has handled multiple tentpole pictures, who can bring an experienced hand to what I can only imagine is a bit of a chaotic production at the moment. He’s also a longtime friend of George Lucas, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he was also a secret “Star Wars” nerd (not to mention he helmed the Lucasfilm production “Willow” many moons ago). The two other names being floated also bring seasoned chops to the table: longtime “Star Wars” writer Lawrence Kasdan (who also penned ‘Han Solo,’ and is reported to have butted heads with Lord and Miller, along with Kennedy) and Joe Johnston, who mostly notably helmed “Captain America: The First Avenger” for Marvel, which is also under the Disney umbrella.

Looking at this more broadly, it’s clear that a disconnect is emerging between Kennedy and co. aiming to hire fresh young voices for their “Star Wars,” and how much risk they are willing to take with this billion dollar brand. Gareth Edwards managed to stick around ‘Rogue One’ and ride out what were some very big shifts in the story that was being pulled together; huge portions of that movie were completely overhauled.

However, Lord/Miller have such a distinct storytelling style and tone, it’ll be interesting to see how much of their flavor remains in the movie, and moreover, just how extensive this summer’s reshoots will be. My guess is that it’s going to be on the scale of ‘Rogue One’ at the minimum, and that Kennedy has already enlisted some kind of creative team to get rewrites going right now. There is probably lots of stuff going on behind the scenes that we’re going to learn about in the weeks and months to come. If Kennedy had reservations and concerns throughout the filming of ‘Han Solo’ — and it certainly sounds like she did — it would only make sense if she’s been preparing a backup plan. Indeed, it says something that the same night both camps issued their formal press statements, the frontrunners to take over emerged.

There’s lots to discuss — see the tweet thread below that provides even more context to the Lord/Miller exit — so hit up the comments section. The ‘Han Solo’ movie opens on May 25, 2018. [Deadline/THR]