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Ron Howard Taking Over As Director On Han Solo Movie
Ron Howard. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for National Geographic)
Rest easy Star Wars fans, the Millennium Falcon has a new pilot. Two days after directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired off the forthcoming Han Solo standalone film for "creative differences," Lucasfilm announced that Hollywood veteran Ron Howard would be stepping in to direct the movie.
The Star Wars movie was already three-quarters of the way through principal photography when Lord and Miller were let go, a move that the Hollywood Reporter characterized as "near-unprecedented."
"At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday morning. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie."
The two-time Academy Award winner has directed a long list of major movies, including A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code and Apollo 13.
Though many details about the forthcoming Han Solo film remain murky, it's known that actors Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover will star as younger versions of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in a cast that also includes Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton. Filming will resume on July 10, and the film is still set to be released in May 2018, according to The Wrap.
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