Ron Howard to take over as director of Han Solo movie after creative shakeup

Ron Howard will take over directing the untitled Han Solo spinoff movie for Lucasfilm and Disney after the surprising news earlier this week that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were leaving the project already well into production.

Hollywood trade papers first published the news of Howard’s hiring Thursday morning, with an official statement posted shortly after at starwars.com. The Oscar-winning director and producer emerged almost immediately as the name most mentioned for the job.

“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,” Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said in the statement. “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. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”

The story that has surfaced this week is that the irreverent sensibilities of Lord and Miller, known for “The Lego Movie” and the “Jump Street” pictures, clashed with those of producer Kennedy and writer Lawrence Kasdan.

The movie stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, with a cast that also includes Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Emilia Clarke and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The next picture in the revived franchise, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” written and directed by Rian Johnson, will be released Dec. 15. The Han Solo movie is still expected to hit its previously announced release date of May 25, 2018.