The upcoming “Star Wars” Han Solo movie is scheduled to be released on May 25, 2018, but despite less than a year before it debuts, Lucasfilm has fired both directors from the expected blockbuster film. To make things much worse, the filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher were removed from the Star Wars spin-off right in the middle of production for the film. The reason for their departure is the dreaded “difference of creative visions.”
President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, said the following about the release of the two directors, “Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it’s become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we’ve decided to part ways.”
From the Hollywood Reporter:
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the style and vision of Lord and Miller clashed with that of Lawrence Kasdan, the legendary screenwriter behind the classics Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, who also wrote, with his son, Jon Kasdan, the script for the Han Solo stand-alone set (for now) to be released in 2018. Lord and Miller (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) have a comedic sensibility and improvisational style while Kasdan favors a strict adherence to the written word — what is on the page is what must be shot. The creative clash, according to one insider, also came down to differences in understanding the character of Han Solo. “People need to understand that Han Solo is not a comedic personality. He’s sarcastic and selfish,” said that source.
Reports suggest that there was friction almost immediately when the film began shooting in February. Variety reported that Kennedy had issues with Lord and Miller. “It was a culture clash from day one. She didn’t even like the way they folded their socks,” a source said. “They weren’t given the leeway to do what they had to do.” The source added, “Kathy, her team and Larry Kasdan have been doing it their way for a very long time. They know how the cheese is made and that’s how they want it made. It became a very polarizing set.”
Lord and Miller were fired on Monday and were said to have been “blindsided by the firing.” “Unfortunately, our vision and process weren’t aligned with our partners on this project. We normally aren’t fans of the phrase ‘creative differences’ but for once this cliché is true. We are really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew,” Lord and Miller said in a statement released Tuesday.
It appears that LucasFilm shot first and the parting was not mutual, but rather Lord and Miller were fired because they wanted to make a comedy movie. It kind of sounds like head honchos over at Lucasfilm originally fucked up by wanting a serious movie and then hiring Lord and Miller who are best known for “21 Jump Street,” “The Lego Movie,” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
The production will take a short hiatus for the next several weeks. During that time, Lucasfilm will search for a new director, review what Lord and Miller have shot, and re-edit what they’ve filmed. Speaking of new directors, there have been some well-known names tossed about to take over the helm. The list includes Ron Howard (“Apollo 13,” “Rush”) and Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Jumanji”) are being considered as replacements. Kasdan, who directed “The Big Chill” and “Silverado,” could step in since he is already familiar with the project.
Hey Donald Glover, you’re playing young Lando Calrissian, how’s the filming for the Han Solo movie going?
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Oh.
Besides Glover, the film stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, plus Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson are co-starring.