The Han Solo movie has lost its directors – here’s why (and who might replace them)

Some pretty big news coming out of Disney… the Han Solo movie has lost its two directors – Phil Lord and Chris Miller – with reports saying they were fired over creative differences. Just be glad they shot (some scenes) first…

The Hollywood Reporter have revealed that the director duo, previously best known for their work on the Lego Movie, were fired by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. The story goes that Han Solo movie  screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan clashed with Lord and Miller over the style of the movie, with Lord and Miller inevitably favouring a more comedic approach having previously worked on the Jump Street series.

Kasdan, who holds considerable sway over at Lucasfilm having previously penned classics such as Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, is very rigid in style, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller favouring a more improvisational approach. In hindsight, the two parties were never going to get on... 

The two released a joint statement, briefly explaining the reason for the pair getting booted from 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."

It’s not uncommon for big movies to have big personalities clashing – Star Wars: Rogue One’s extensive reshoots and Edgar Wright’s departure of Ant-Man can attest to that – but Phil Lord and Chris Miller being canned midway through shooting is earth-shattering. 

As of right now, the release date of May 25, 2018 hasn’t changed, with Ron Howard’s name being thrown around as a leading contender to step into the gap left by Lord and Miller. Either way, Lucasfilm have got to work fast to paper over the cracks of a PR disaster, as well as make sure the project doesn’t grind to a halt mid-development.

Image: Lucasfilm