Ron Howard recalls the push and pull of taking over Solo: A Star Wars Story and the advice he got from George Lucas
Nowadays, it’s challenging to keep pace with the evolution of the Star Wars franchise. It used to be as easy as waxing rhapsodic about the OG trilogy, then discourse about the prequels introduced a whole new era of toxic fandom to the mix. Disney is making inroads with titles like The Mandalorian, Skeleton Crew, and Andor. Still, one project remains a hotbed of discourse: Ron Howard’s 2018 spinoff, Solo: A Star Wars Story, starring Alden Ehrenreich as the young, scruffy nerf-herder Han Solo. Howard recently chatted with Vulture about many films throughout his storied career, from Splash to Hillbilly Elegy. During the talk, Howard opened up about the confusion surrounding Solo and how a random breakfast with Kathleen Kennedy in Paris led to him taking the project over from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
When asked to explain Solo’s production, Howard told Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri that the Star Wars spinoff fell into his lap while he was vacationing with his wife, Cheryl.
“My wife, Cheryl, and I were vacationing in Paris. I went to London to see Hans Zimmer play at the O2, and I reached out to Kathy Kennedy19 just to say “hi.” And she said, “Do you want to come to breakfast?” I said, “Okay.” Also the late Alli Shearmur,20 who I had worked with before, and Jon Kasdan21 eventually showed up. They basically said, “We’ve reached a creative impasse with Lord and Miller.22 Would you ever consider coming in?”
Howard continues by saying he looked at the existing footage and discovered what was bothering the studio about the film. “There was a studio that liked the script the way it was and wanted a Star Wars movie, but there was a disconnect early on tonally, and they weren’t convinced that what Phil and Chris were doing was working effectively,” Howard explained. “I couldn’t judge that because I didn’t see enough of it to know. But they were sure.”
Next, Howard learned that the studio wanted to do extensive reshoots. He agreed and said that Lord and Miller were “incredibly gracious” throughout the exchange of hands. “They were just seeing two different movies. So I came in, I had a blast, but there’s nothing personal about that film whatsoever. It’s still just a shame. I can’t wait for Phil and Chris’s next movie,” Howard says.
In addition to talking about taking the film over, Howard told Vulture he got some sage advice from Star Wars creator George Lucas, who told him not to forget that “the movie is for 12-year-old boys.”
Solo: A Star Wars Story banked $393.2 million worldwide, against a $275 million budget. The film was labeled a box office disappointment, but not for lack of trying. Some fans say Solo failed because there were too many cooks in the kitchen, while others never saw a reason to make the movie in the first place. Solo has its defenders, of course, though it sounds like the movie was born from one complication after another.
What do you think of Solo: A Star Wars Story now that it has been several years since its initial release? Let us know in the comments section below.
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