Solo: a Star Wars Story [was 'Directors leave Han Solo film']

[James]

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) were directing. Creative differences with LucasFilm or Disney mean they are no longer directing the project with several weeks left to film.


June 20, 2017 4:27pm PT by Borys Kit, Rebecca Ford

'Star Wars': Han Solo Film Loses Directors

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are no longer directing the Han Solo Star Wars spinoff.

"Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers 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," Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said Tuesday in a statement.

"Unfortunately, our vision and process weren’t aligned with our partners on this project," a statement from Lord and Miller read. "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."

Lord and Miller, helmers of The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street and its sequel 22 Jump Street, signed on to direct the Star Wars stand-alone in July 2015. The film features Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, while Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson and Donald Glover also star.

The pic has been shooting in London since February. Sources say there are several weeks left on the shoot (who will be helming those is currently under wraps), with reshoots scheduled for later this summer.

The release date of May 25, 2018, remains unchanged.

This isn't the first Star Wars film to face a director issue. On Rogue One, which was helmed by Gareth Edwards, Tony Gilroy was brought in to rewrite and help oversee extensive reshoots.

The issue of "creative differences" has been the cause of several director exits over the past couple years on studio tentpoles. Tim Miller left Fox's sequel Deadpool 2; Rick Famuyiwa left Warner Bros. and DC's The Flash; and Michelle MacLaren left Wonder Woman (which was then directed by Patty Jenkins, who had previously exited Thor 2).


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-han-solo-film-loses-directors-1015419?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

[Jamie89]

:worry: hopefully this isn't a bad sign

[Tom4784]

I lost interest as soon as they revealed who they cast as Han Solo, I can't get over the fact that 'young Han Solo' looks older than Han Solo did in the original trilogy.

[Locke.]

The supporting cast for this film is brilliant and that had me excited for it (didn't want a spin-off Han film without Harrison Ford originally). This news is a bit worrying though

[James]

Some more about the reasons behind from Variety.


‘Star Wars’ Han Solo Spinoff: Lord & Miller Fired After Clashing With Kathleen Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)

Brent Lang
Senior Film and Media Editor



June 20, 2017 | 06:38PM PT

Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s reputation for writing irreverent, poppy films such as “21 Jump Street” and “The Lego Movie” helped the white-hot writing and directing duo land one of the most coveted gigs in Hollywood — a chance to call the shots on a “Star Wars” film.

But their chance to put their stamp on a galaxy far, far away collapsed on Tuesday with the stunning announcement that the pair would be departing the still untitled Han Solo spin-off movie in the midst of production. Their exit comes after months of conflict with producer Kathleen Kennedy, others from her LucasFilm team, and co-writer and executive producer Lawrence Kasdan, and the two directors hired to infuse the “Star Wars” universe with a tongue-in-cheek sensibility.

Miller and Lord were stunned to find that they were not being granted freedom to run the production in the manner that they were accustomed to. They balked at Kennedy’s tight control on the set.


A person with knowledge of the production said that the chemistry between the directors and Kennedy was never right.

“It was a culture clash from day one,” the source said. “She didn’t even like the way they folded their socks.”

The source said that while Lord and Miller were supposedly hired for their vision and distinctive brand of filmmaking when it came to the “Star Wars” production, Kennedy did not approve of their shooting style and process of interacting with actors and crew. “They weren’t given the leeway to do what they had to do,” the source said.

The duo also clashed with Kasdan, who has been an integral creative part of several “Star Wars” movies, dating back the the 1980 “The Empire Strikes Back.” Like Kennedy, he questioned many of the pair’s directing choices.

“Kathy, her team and Larry Kasdan have been doing it their way for a very long time. They know how the cheese is made and that’s how they want it made,” said the source. “It became a very polarizing set.”

In statements accompanying news of the directing shakeup, both Kennedy and Lord and Miller alluded to differing visions for the project.

“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,” said Lord and Miller in a statement.

Kennedy promised a new director would be announced shortly. Sources say Ron Howard is in talks to take over the film, but there is no deal as yet.

Ron Howard declined to discuss the prospect of his taking over the movie in a conference call with reporters Wednesday to unveil plans for the second season of his National Geographic TV series “Genius.”

It is unclear if and how Lord and Miller will be credited on the movie. Hollywood insiders said their forced departure in the middle of filming was a highly unusual situation.

Kennedy said in a statement, “Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers 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.”

The directors did not leave the production voluntarily, but were fired by LucasFilm. The decision comes as the Han Solo film still has several weeks left to shoot, according to another individual with knowledge of the production. An additional several weeks of reshoots have been planned to take place later this summer.

It’s not clear who will take over directing duties from Lord and Miller. Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) oversaw some of the reshoots for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” However, he will not be directing the Han Solo film, according to his spokesperson.

Kennedy had her own ideas about how the film should be shot. In an interview with Variety last year, she said she wanted the film to have “…a heist or Western type feel,” adding, “We’ve talked about [Frederic] Remington and those primary colors that are used in his paintings defining the look and feel of the film.”

Some insiders believe that while Kennedy wants to make a splash by hiring young indie directors such as Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) and Rian Johnson (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”), she’s ultimately unwilling to empower them to make their own creative decisions.

Unlike Edwards and Johnson, Miller and Lord felt they had earned their stripes, having worked extensively in the major studio system.

The Han Solo film will focus on the Millennium Falcon pilot’s early days as a smuggler. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich in the role Harrison Ford made famous. The cast includes Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Michael K. Williams, and Emilia Clarke.

A spokesperson for Disney declined comment, other than to say that the Han Solo standalone remains slated for a May 25, 2018, release date. Lord and Miller’s reps also declined comment.

Ricardo Lopez contributed to this article.


http://variety.com/2017/film/news/star-wars-han-solo-kathleen-kennedy-director-fired-1202473919/

[James]

The Episode 9 director Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) has been removed or left now.


UPDATE 2! Colin Trevorrow Out as Director of Star Wars: Episode IX!

Lucasfilm has released an announcement that Colin Trevorrow will no longer be directing Star Wars: Episode IX.

Here is the official statement from Lucasfilm:

Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon,”

This story is developing and we will update as more news comes out.

UPDATE!

The Hollywood Reporter shared what some of the reason for the break up are, coming from their sources:

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that script issues have continued to be the continuing sore spot with Episode IX’s development with Trevorrow having had repeated stabs at multiple drafts. In August, Jack Thorne, the British scribe who wrote the upcoming Julia Roberts-Jacob Tremblay movie Wonder, was tapped to work on the script.

Sources say that the working relationship between Trevorrow and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy became unmanageable. Kennedy, who had already been through one director firing/replacement on the Han Solo spin-off, was not eager for a sequel and tried to avoid this decision......


From https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/09/colin-trevorrow-out-as-director-of-episode-ix.html

[Scarlett.]

Not looking good for Star Wars D:

[Marsh.]

I lost interest as soon as they revealed who they cast as Han Solo, I can't get over the fact that 'young Han Solo' looks older than Han Solo did in the original trilogy.

Does he heck. :joker:

He's younger than Harrison Ford was in the first film isn't he?

[Oliver_W]

Sounds like Kathleen Kennedy is a nightmare to work for...

[user104658]

Sounds like Kathleen Kennedy is a nightmare to work for...True, when you have a consistently high staff turnover and can't figure out why, it's time to start looking at the management rather than the "employees". Guess that applies from min wage right up to multi-million dollar movie franchise.

[Oliver_W]

True, when you have a consistently high staff turnover and can't figure out why, it's time to start looking at the management rather than the "employees". Guess that applies from min wage right up to multi-million dollar movie franchise.

"When everyone you meet is an asshole, maybe you're the asshole"

It's not much to go on, but she comes off as a bit ... unlikeable in interviews. I remember on a panel thing, Mark Hamill made a pointed remark about the direction of Luke's character, and she let out a hideously fake laugh.

[James]

I don't think directors in the big film-franchises have much creative control. It's like television where the writers and producers are the main creators.

[James]

The film is called Solo: A Star Wars Story.

http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/10/solo-a-star-wars-story-tall-A.png

[James]

Trailer.

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[James]

TV advert.

1nSox6tjnak

[Ramsay]

Everything except Han appears to be good.
Edit: Not that i'm completely against the idea of someone new taking over the role, Ewan Mcgregor did a great job with Obi Wan, it's just from the trailer he doesn't sound or look like Han at all but I'm still excited.

[Jordan.]

Oop I didn't know Emilia Clarke was in it.

[James]

I quite enjoyed the trailer. I like the I'm-putting-a-team-together idea. Though Holywood has a lot of films like that recently - Guardians, Suicide Squad, Justice League, new Oceans film.

[James]

Another trailer.

IcgnahgNMJo

[arista]

looks good

[James]

Clip. Looks like they are aiming for nostalgia with the music.

DgaC0ytqdv4

[Marsh.]

What's the point in quitting when most of the film is finished?

Most of their work still remains.

[James]

Reports were that they re-shot most of the film, which nearly doubled the budget. Disney has the money to do that I guess.

[James]

I think this comes out tomorrow. I might go see it.

[Marsh.]

Han Solo dies?

[LukeB]

Han Solo dies?

:joker:

[Oliver_W]

I loved it :D I think it's my favourite Disney Star Wars movie
Alden Ehrenreich is great as Han, so charming. I'd watch a trilogy of him with Chewie, they just shined together, it was awesome. Kiera is a better character than bland old Rey or Whatsherface from R1. Donald Glover was okay as Lando. The SJW droid was annoying, but at least she was meant to be annoying, it wasn't another Jar Jar, a misfire causing an accidentally dislikable character.
I do wish Han's crew would have lasted a bit longer, I liked the goblin thing and Thandie Newton. Nathan from Will & Grace was a great character, though you could see his being a traitor a mile off.
I didn't really care too much about the lack of an overarching story, it was just a fun adventure.
I'd like to think the Darth Maul cameo was a setup for an Obi Wan standalone, but even if it was another Solo movie with Han, Chewie, and Kiera I'd be all over it.

[RileyH]

Never been that interested in Star Wars but tempted to try this for Emilia Clarke :worship:

[James]

I watched it and found it okay, but nothing more. Plot is okayish. There's some good sequences in it though. Some of the best lines are used in the adverts.

The best bit was when,


Han and Lando are looking over the Millennium Falcon after Han had practically trashed it, and Lando says deadpan 'I hate you'.

[Oliver_W]

I watched it and found it okay, but nothing more. Plot is okayish. There's some good sequences in it though. Some of the best lines are used in the adverts.

The best bit was when,


Han and Lando are looking over the Millennium Falcon after Han had practically trashed it, and Lando says deadpan 'I hate you'.


and the return of "I know" :D

[James]

It apparently hasn't done very well box-office wise. Lower US opening than Justice League, which was considered a flop - when that film's budget was accounted for.

It looks like Disney will lose money on Solo - especially with the money they spent on reshoots.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-dismal-solo-box-office-cause-disney-rethink-star-wars-strategy-1115233

[Ross.]

I really liked this? I thought it was pretty good and far exceeded my expectations

[Barry.]

It apparently hasn't done very well box-office wise. Lower US opening than Justice League, which was considered a flop - when that film's budget was accounted for.

It looks like Disney will lose money on Solo - especially with the money they spent on reshoots.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-dismal-solo-box-office-cause-disney-rethink-star-wars-strategy-1115233

Yup did awful compared to the other star war movies.

[Oliver_W]

Well, its release did directly follow Force Awakens, so I guess bad apples poison expectations ...