“Star Wars” fans who were already excited about the Han Solo standalone movie received some very cool teasers from director Ron Howard recently. Aside from sharing snaps of what appeared to be Lando Calrissian’s costume, he also shared a picture "of what is clearly a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon," Hollywood Report wrote.
Ron Howard, who directed films like “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13,” and “The Da Vinci Code” was tapped to direct the “Star Wars” standalone after original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired because of the reportedly slow progress of the Han Solo Movie.
Howard was only too happy to take over the cudgels of the Disney and Lucasfilms movie when it was offered to him in June.
"So many people involved with the 'Star Wars' franchise are friends, so it's gratifying to be able to lend my voice to the universe — coming in when it's already been in production and there is a great amount of work done," Ron Howard said as he accepted the project. The Han Solo movie was the second "Star Wars" film to be offered to Howard, who declined to helm "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" in favor of "Apollo 13" in 1995.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller Exit
It came as a shock to many fans of the “Star Wars” franchise when it was announced by the studios that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were being relieved of directorial duties.
Both directors have established a solid fan base for their films like the “21 Jump Street” reboot and “The Lego Movie.” It was believed that they were hired to bring their own brand of humor and excitement to the Han Solo franchise as the story will deal with origins of the iconic character.
However, insiders said that because of the scope of the “Star Wars” franchise and the demands of production, Lord and Miller felt limited by the expectations set by the studio.
Sources said that the duo’s filmmaking style did not match the demands of such a big franchise. At the end of the day, the studio chose to go to another direction and hire Ron Howard instead.
Howard’s Creative Process
Ron Howard made it no secret that he was a big fan of George Lucas and the “Star Wars” franchise and as a fan, he knew that the audience wanted to be part of the experience of creating the film.
His latest post about Lando Calrissian and the Millenium Falcon was only one of the many times he has already teased behind the scenes activities on set.
He also reached out to fans when he posted an image of young Chewbacca, Han Solo’s best friend and a popular character in the “Star Wars” universe through his social media page. Fans have expressed appreciation for the teasers and said that they are now even more excited about the yet untitled “Han Solo” movie which is expected to release on May 25, 2018.
