New Star Wars film puts character first
‘It’s real, authentic’
LOS ANGELES, May 23, (RTRS): “Star Wars” movies are known for high-stakes battles to save the galaxy far, far away from the forces of evil, but director said he viewed the latest film installment as simply the personal journey of a young man.
“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which begins rolling out in international theaters on Wednesday, is Walt Disney Co’s origin tale for Han Solo, the swaggering smuggler made famous by Harrison Ford in 1977.
In the new movie, 28-year-old Alden Ehrenreich plays a younger Solo who is just beginning his pilot training.
“This is not a war story. There isn’t politics,” Howard told Reuters about the new film. “This is about a character.”
Disney brought in Howard mid-way through production to film extensive reshoots of the film after the studio fired original co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Oscar winner Howard said he tackled the challenge by approaching it in a similar way to some of the biopics he has directed such as “A Beautiful Mind” and “Apollo 13.”
“It’s a lot like doing a true story,” Howard said. “You use the framework and you discover the drama, you discover the humor, you discover the suspense within those stories. I treated the world as if it was real in a very authentic and organic way and then built from there.”
“Solo” has scored generally positive marks from critics who said Howard had succeeded in making a fun film that should please the franchise’s fervent fans.
Box office experts predict “Solo” could set a Memorial Day weekend record in the United States and Canada. The movie could take in up to $170 million at domestic theaters over its first four days, according to Boxoffice.com.
In the film, the young Solo’s early adult life becomes intertwined with his childhood friend, Qi’ra, played by “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke. Solo also meets his future co-pilot, Chewbacca, and gambles with the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).
“Those relationships really matter,” Howard said, “and they really define the events.”
Glover sat down with Variety to discuss the troubled shoot, taking on the role of a beloved icon and what “Star Wars” means in the spectrum of his recent creative output.
You’re really tapping into a pulse lately with “Atlanta” and “This Is America.” Where does something like “Star Wars” fit into that for you? What does it mean to black culture?
Howard
I feel like I’m not qualified to answer that. Black culture — there are different thoughts on everything. It’s not a monolith. There’s always a discussion. Culture is a discussion that we’re having with ourselves. All these things are discussions. What I like about this “Star Wars” specifically is it is real on some level. I love that there are rich people and poor people. That’s so pivotal. It’s so important for children to make the connection that, yeah, in order for them to have that, that has to exist. There’s the high and the low, and there are things at play to keep it that way. It’s so great to me that Han comes into this naive. He didn’t always shoot first. I love that, and I think it makes a lot of sense with the stuff I’m making right now. You want to tell that story and make sure it’s reactive with what’s happening.
Have you talked to Billy Dee Williams since he saw the movie? Yeah, he texted me. What did he think? He said, “Good job.” I was really surprised. I didn’t ask for it. If he hated it, I’d just rather not know.
Was the transition to a different director difficult for you?
It was unexpected but not difficult. We got three great directors for the price of one, and I got to see the difference. I’ve never been in a movie this big. I’ve gotten to work with big directors, you know, Ridley Scott. But getting to see how it’s done from two different styles was super unique. On the same movie? Never happens. So I just soaked that up. I was just like, “I know this is not ideal, but now there’s a control in this experiment. This probably won’t ever happen to you again, so pay attention.” It was weirdly beneficial — not to belittle the seriousness of the situation. I think there was honestly a miscommunication in the artistic vision. What was morale like in that moment? Everybody was just kind of shocked. I was not expecting that call at all. I was at home; I got the call and it was like, “We’re going to take a small hiatus.” And I was just shocked. You just want to know what’s going to happen, because it’s such a big ship and everything is new to you.
Were you or the rest of the cast aware of any tensions?
I really wasn’t aware. I felt like the youngest child in a divorce. Maybe something would poke out that there was a disagreement, but I had never been on a movie this big, so I was like, “Yeah, maybe people disagree when there’s millions of dollars at stake. Who knew?”
Speaking of “Atlanta,” are Earn and Paper Boi “Star Wars” fans?
Absolutely. I really feel like they would be. I don’t know for sure, but it feels like they would be.
Maybe you can work something in there for Season 3.
We’ll see. It’s kind of unsaid, probably. I mean I’m sure they’re big “Star Wars” fans. That’s the thing. It’s a movie that just speaks to all that stuff, so they’re probably there.