Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The Star Wars universe was thrown into a tailspin last night when it was announced that Lego Movie duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller would be departing the Untitled Han Solo spin-off film some five months into production with just weeks left of shooting, and the rumor mill started spinning almost immediately when it came to talks of who could replace the team this late in the game. While the press release posted on StarWars.com claimed “creative differences” as the reason behind their departure, reports of Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan butting heads with the duo from the beginning seemed to imply that they had been fired.
With a director-less Star Wars movie less than a year away from its release date, a handful of names are already being thrown into the ring, with one in particular being listed as the frontrunner – Ron Howard. While nothing is confirmed yet, his name has emerged at the top of the list that reportedly also includes Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston.
Howard, best known for his directorial credits that include flicks Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, and an executive producer title on irreverent comedy Arrested Development, would perhaps fit the desired combination of action and comedy sensibilities for the Han Solo film. Howard previously turned down directing a Star Wars prequel when approached, but the recent success and tonal shift of the franchise and have made the flicks some of the most sought-after projects in Hollywood.
No official word yet on who Lucasfilm plans to go with, but if it’s any consolation, a ton of Twitter users are ready to step up to the plate.
The Untitled Han Solo Film is slated to hit theaters May 25, 2018 and stars Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) as young Solo, Donald Glover (Atlanta, Community) as young Lando Calrissian, and Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Thandie Newton (Westworld), and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) as new characters.
