FLYING SOLO
Howard makes his mark on Star Wars
Being parachuted in to save a sinking ship can be a daunting task. But when that ship is the Millennium Falcon, it’s a hard offer to refuse.
Hollywood lifer Ron Howard had mixed feelings when asked to take the reins of Solo: A Star Wars Story from the hands of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, last June.
“I was reluctant at first, to be honest,” Howard said. “But I was won over by the script. I really didn’t even engage until I knew the studio was going to make the change and that the directors understood that. It was a classic case of creative differences, and I certainly didn’t want to get in the middle of that.
“Once I realized it was going to happen, and I read the script, I just felt like there were great ideas here, a fantastic, iconic character who was important to me and to others, and a strong cast. So just a lot of pluses to work with.”
Production on the Han Solo origin tale had begun in January 2017, with the changeover coming in June when Lucasfilm rejected Lord and Miller’s approach to the subject matter.
Howard’s relationship with Star Wars mastermind George Lucas dates back to the latter’s 1973 coming-of-age comedy American Graffiti, in which Howard starred alongside the original Han Solo, Harrison Ford.
Transitioning from acting to directing, Howard found success with ’80s hits Splash and Cocoon, and the Lucas-produced fantasy film Willow, before becoming a blockbuster veteran with Backdraft (1991), Apollo 13 (1995) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).
So it was fitting for Howard to step in to put the latest entry in his old collaborator’s storied franchise back on track. It was also familiar territory.
“I’ve always been a fan, and always been in awe,” Howard said of Star Wars. “The first one changed the landscape of what was possible in the movies. George’s imagination and his ability to apply technique — even though he’s not a techie himself — his ability to adapt and push the boundaries of the kinds of images you could capture on screen, and the way you could capture them, was jaw-dropping.
“Also, the storytelling was fantastic. When I started directing this, I hadn’t really thought about the way these movies entertain you. I instantly realized it’s a sort of density of entertainment values that’s pretty unique. There’s
(George Lucas) felt that Han Solo was a character that fans could really benefit from knowing more about.
always the possibility of shifting over to humour, yet there’s real drama and power in classic themes that resonate in a deep way.”
Howard wasn’t the only oldschool Lucas acolyte on board. Solo: A Star Wars Story was cowritten by Lawrence Kasdan, whose illustrious CV includes series classics The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as 2015 reboot The Force Awakens, not to mention 1981 Ford vehicle Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kasdan’s son Jonathan also co-wrote Solo.
It was Lawrence Kasdan who suggested making a movie about Han Solo in the first place, according to Howard.
“The story was hatched before Disney acquired Lucasfilm (in 2012),” he said. “George and (Lucasfilm president) Kathy Kennedy talked to Larry and said, ‘If we want to move beyond the saga, where do you think we should start?’ He said, ‘Han Solo.’ He felt that Han Solo was a character that fans could really benefit from knowing more about.”
Solo: A Star Wars Story delves into the character’s colourful past, recounting how he met Chewbacca (now played by Joonas Suotamo), his history with Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and how he came to own the Millennium Falcon.
The elephant in the room was of course that the film’s lead actor Alden Ehrenreich is not Harrison Ford. Which, when attempting to reimagine a persona upon which Ford imprinted his DNA, could have proved difficult. And did.
Ehrenreich was reportedly assigned an acting coach early in the process with Lord and Miller, after having trouble finding the right tone.
When Howard came on board, he pushed his young charge to relax, and enjoy the ride.
“I quickly picked up that Alden is a very intelligent, thoughtful, studious, dedicated actor,” Howard said. “And while that was of great value, I tried to work with him on a moment-to-moment, choice-bychoice basis and encouraged him to trust his instincts. I encouraged him to work fast, so that we stopped talking and analyzing, and just started doing it. It freed him up to not feel like every take was vitally important.”
As for Ehrenreich’s right to be there in the first place, Howard was unequivocal.
“Even Harrison, when I talked to him, said (Ehrenreich) really has to make it his own,” he said. “Sean Connery couldn’t be Bond forever, and there’s no way Harrison Ford could do this part. It doesn’t mean you don’t explore the character.”