Both directors dropped from movie on young Han Solo
LOS ANGELES: Both directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have been dropped from next year’s “Star Wars” movie focusing on a young Han Solo.
No new film maker has been announced, but in a statement, Lucasfi lm says the movie will remain on course for a May 2018 release.
“Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented film makers 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. A new director will be announced soon,” said Lucasfi lm president Kathleen Kennedy.
Lord and Miller, whose previous projects include “The LEGO Movie”, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”, and the “21 Jump Street” comedies, also issued a comment within the Lucasfi lm announcement.
“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,” stated Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
A previously announced “Star Wars” stand-alone film, which sources disclosed was a Boba Fett movie, also dropped its director, “Fantastic Four” and “Chronicle” film maker Josh Trank — although that was long before even serious preproduction began. And “Rogue One” brought aboard frequent “Bourne” screenwriter and Michael Clayton film maker Tony Gilroy to assist on reshoots for that film, although original director Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”) stayed on the project until the end.
There had been no major rumblings of difficulty on the set of the young Han Solo movie, which stars Alden Ehrenreich as a 20- something version of Harrison Ford’s infamous smuggler, Donald Glover in the role of his duplicitous frenemy Lando Calrissian — originated in “The Empire Strikes Back” by Billy Dee Williams — and Joonas Suotamo taking over Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew.
The movie co- stars Thandie Newton and Emilia Clarke in unspecified roles, Woody Harrelson plays a mentor figure, and Fleabag star Phoebe WallerBridge will play a performance capture character.