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Ron Howard Steps In To Direct Han Solo Movie (hollywoodreporter.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new dept.

Two days after directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were let go in the middle of shooting the Star Wars Han Solo spinoff movie, the spot has been filled. Ron Howard has been named the new direct of Lucasfilm and Disney's Han Solo movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. From the report: Howard, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter, will meet with the actors -- Alden Ehrenreich is playing the iconic smuggler, Donald Glover is playing Lando Calrissian, with Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Thandie Newton also on the roll call -- to soothe a rattled set and will pore over a rough edit to see what the project needs. Filming will resume on July 10. Howard, who directed 1995's Apollo 13 and won an Oscar for helming 2002's A Beautiful Mind, comes to the Han Solo film with several connections to George Lucas and the worlds of Lucasfilm. He appeared in Lucas' 1973 breakout film American Graffiti and helmed Lucas' 1988 pet fantasy project Willow. Howard also revealed on a podcast in 2015 that Lucas had approached him to direct 1999's Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace. Though his recent movies, including Inferno and In the Heart of the Sea, have been costly ventures that underperformed at the box office, Howard is considered to be a safe choice to complete the task, someone who will ably finish the movie while being a calming presence on set.

4 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. I hope by bugs2squash · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hope it turns out like arrested development (the initial series at least), renegade space pilot from a dysfunctional family.

    --
    Nullius in verba
    1. Re:I hope by sexconker · · Score: 5, Funny

      Narrator: Han went to ask Chewie if he fixed the hyperdrive.
      Han: Chewie, did you remember to fix the hyperdrive?
      Chewbacca: Arrrororaaawr.
      Narrator: Chewie was lying.

  2. Re:This is probably a good move. by CeasedCaring · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Ron Howard has made quite a few movies. None of them broke any boundaries or even pushed envelopes.

    Really? What about filming Apollo 13 in freefall (aboard a "vomit comet"), instead of hanging people from wires?

  3. Re:This is probably a good move. by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Funny

    What about it? That was still well inside the Earth's atmosphere! He didn't push the envelope of the Earth's sphere and it was a freaking movie about space travel decades after moon travel was possible! Why couldn't he have filmed it IN LUNAR ORBIT?!?