Star Wars Han Solo (film)

[Neil]

So seems Woody Harrelson is in the mix somewhere - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38594248

While I have loads of time for Woody Harrelson I do wish they'd use less know actors so you have less preconceptions about them etc.

ie: As soon as you see Woody Harrelson you'll know... Oh look, there's a major character!

[Moon Knight]

Woody will always remind me of Cheers.

[shootemindehead]

Always the first thing I think of too Moon and I wasn't even a fan. I suppose Woody just made that role his own.

[Neil]

Well, worrying news surely when a film that started filming in January, has lost its director(s)? - http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1672559/the-han-solo-movie-has-lost-its-directors


Lucasfilm announced today that Phil Lord and Chris Miller have departed the Han Solo movie. The studio's president, Kathleen Kennedy, stated that there were "different creative visions" for the movie, and thus the two sides have parted ways. A new director will be announced soon.

If there's different creative visions, what does that mean as regards X months of the stuff that's been filmed?

[MinionZombie]

Well! That does actually sound like bad news for the movie (as opposed to so-called "bad news" over the totally standard for blockbuster movies re-shoots that were 'sure to doom' Rogue One ;) ).

That's a shame. Lord and Miller have proven themselves in prior projects. I wonder what the 'creative differences' are with this one. :shifty:

[shootemindehead]

They were probably trying to make ot a dumbass comedy and missed the point of the character altogether. This "Han Solo" thing was always an extremely bad idea anyway.

[Neil]

Two words... Ron Howard

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40370107

This gives me some hope as I doubt he'd undertake something he couldn't see working.

[MinionZombie]

That was swift! Like all filmmakers he's made a couple of iffy flicks, but Ron Howard's made so many great movies, so this is a good rescue for the project.

I'd really like to know exactly why Lord & Miller left/were let go, beyond the rather vague "creative differences". Were they going too far in a comedy direction? Whatever the reason, it's strange really, as they absolutely nailed The Lego Movie and 21/22 Jump Street.

*edit*

Some chit chat about it here. A few good points made throughout - going too off-script at times? Humour coming ahead of other things too often?

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[shootemindehead]

I don't think there was anything swift about it Mini. I reckon Kennedy was onto Howard last month or so, or at least the last couple of weeks, securing him before she made the move. I doubt that this whole thing blew up this week. Even on the day Lord and Miller were fires, Ron Howard's name was being bandied about and that's not a name one would associate with a Star Wars film with any immediacy.

[bassman]

Lord and Miller were really the only part of this production that gave me any hope that it could work. Howard is a fine director, more so in the 80's and 90's, but his name as replacement only gives me a "meh" feeling.

Rumor has it that Lord and Miller are now in discussions with WB/DC about helming The Flash solo film, which they had written a script for a couple years back before joining Han Solo. I have my fingers crossed for that, as they seem to be a perfect fit for The Flash....

[MinionZombie]

I don't think there was anything swift about it Mini. I reckon Kennedy was onto Howard last month or so, or at least the last couple of weeks, securing him before she made the move. I doubt that this whole thing blew up this week. Even on the day Lord and Miller were fires, Ron Howard's name was being bandied about and that's not a name one would associate with a Star Wars film with any immediacy.

If anything it's more swift. :D

Yes. I'd imagine this happened ahead of our schedule as outsiders reading about it ... how much ahead, we don't know, of course. It'd make sense that Kennedy would have been quietly courting other directors ahead of firing Lord & Miller as they're in production and you can't lose studio time with all the money attached to it (as well as the inevitable deadline).

[EvilNed]

Ron Howard's never shot a frame of experimental footage in his entire career, so choosing him to step in and direct what is obviously going to be an product of Disney, with all that it entails, is an unsurprising move.

I was working on a Hollywood movie once where they fired the DoP out of the blue for everyone - but sure enough they had a high end DoP step onto set on Monday morning. These things happen, but these days they never happen without there being a backup plan ready to go.

Kathleen Kennedy just wants to milk the Star Wars franchise and produce average quality "safe bets". So anything, or anyone, that's diverging from that is going to get the boot.

[bassman]

Kathleen Kennedy just wants to milk the Star Wars franchise and produce average quality "safe bets". So anything, or anyone, that's diverging from that is going to get the boot.

Not only Kennedy, but all of Disney, it seems. For being the biggest studio at the moment, owning Lucasfilm​, Marvel, Pixar, and of course the classic Disney rights, they seem to be continuing to make the safest choices rather than the more creative ones. Mediocre Pixar like Cars 3(pure merchandising), cookie cutter Marvel films(with maybe the exception of Guardians), and Star Wars films that aren't allowed to branch out into a universe that is ripe with possibilities, but instead have to play it safe.

I understand it's all a business, but c'mon.....They're friggin Disney. They can try some different approaches without going broke...

[shootemindehead]

If anything it's more swift. :D

Yes. I'd imagine this happened ahead of our schedule as outsiders reading about it ... how much ahead, we don't know, of course. It'd make sense that Kennedy would have been quietly courting other directors ahead of firing Lord & Miller as they're in production and you can't lose studio time with all the money attached to it (as well as the inevitable deadline).

Well, according to some folk, it was Erenreich who brought his concerns to Kasdan and Kennedy earlier on. One article says that Lord and Miller were making Ace Ventura in Space. If that's the case then they should have gone long ago. Frankly, I wouldn't have hired them at all and I find it amazing that they were even considered in the first place. Star Wars may hve some comic elements scattered here and there, but they're not silly comedies. L+M being one trick ponies, wasn't it not obvious what they were bringing to the table?

- - - Updated - - -


Kathleen Kennedy just wants to milk the Star Wars franchise and produce average quality "safe bets". So anything, or anyone, that's diverging from that is going to get the boot.

Kennedy has to make good on Disney's 5 billion dollar investment. That is her remit, first and foremost, from the mouse. However, while 'The Force Awakens' was just about as safe as you could get, in fact it was positively cowardly, 'Rogue One' went out on a limb in terms of tone and I think Edwards was let get away with an awful lot. I know there were reshoots for the ending etc, but the story didn't change and there's a real shift in tone in that film, even though it does relatively match up with the original trilogy quite nicely.

In the end though, I think you simply can't diverge too much from what is the essence of Star Wars, especially when you are making something that hovers near the original trilogy of films. This is where Lord and Miller fucked up. They're playing in a limited playground, with an already established universe and a much beloved character. If Kennedy thought what she saw was shite and asked them to remedy it, to which they say no, then they have to go.

More than likely, the problem here was a fundamental lack of understanding of the already established character of Solo and way, way too much deviation from Kasdan's script. Plus, if the Ace Ventura thing is correct, I would have been appalled if I was in Kennedy's position too. There's allowing directors the freedom to create and then there's fucking up an entire franchise, with a fanbase that will let you know it for the next 50 years.

[EvilNed]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-han-solo-movie-firing-new-details-behind-phil-lord-chris-miller-exit-1016619

The more I read about this, the more come to think that maybe Kennedy just isn't the right person to produce these films. She's already made several mistakes in hiring inexperienced directors.

[shootemindehead]

If Kennedy is guilty of anything, it's this notion that you can hand over franchise properties like this to any old stick and hope things will turn out well. Although, I think Edward's did an excellent job - even if it isn't to everyone's taste, just like his 'Monsters' and 'Godzilla', which I liked too.

Lord and Miller, on the other hand, were just the wrong people for the wrong job. In any case, it was Kasdan who greenlit them and they were off the back of a couple of hits. Young, fresh talent and all that. But, they're one trick ponies and that's where the real problem lies. I could have told LFL and Kathleen Kennedy that for free a couple of years ago.

IMO, Kennedy has to be commended for halting things and correcting the ship. But that ship has a massive Harrison Ford shaped hole in it that's simply going to scupper this thing, no matter what happens.

In many ways, this clusterfuck is probably a good thing as far as fans are concerned as it means there will be a tightening up of who will be helming these projects from now on. That's if anybody has actually learned anything.