Ron Howard Reflects on the Creative Rift Behind SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY - “It’s Still Just a Shame”

When Solo: A Star Wars Story hit theaters in 2018, it came with a behind the scenes shakeup that had fans curious and concerned. Years later, Ron Howard is opening up more candidly about stepping in to finish the film after Phil Lord and Chris Miller were removed over creative differences with Lucasfilm. The issue, according to Howard, was all about tone.

In a recent conversation with Vulture, Howard recalled the pivotal lunch meeting that changed everything. He was approached by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, joined by Solo co-writer Jonathan Kasdan, who laid out the situation.

“They basically said, ‘We’ve reached a creative impasse with Lord and Miller. Would you ever consider coming in?’ I looked at some edited footage, and I saw what was bothering them.

“There was a studio that liked the script the way it was and wanted a Star Wars movie, but there was a disconnect early on tonally, and they weren’t convinced that what Phil and Chris were doing was working effectively.”

Howard admitted he didn’t see enough of their work to make a definitive judgment, but Lucasfilm was firm in their stance.

“I couldn’t judge that because I didn’t see enough of it to know. But they were sure. Once I said, ‘Okay, I think I can do this script, and I think I understand what you want of this script,’ they said, ‘We’d want to reshoot a lot.’

“I looked at the whole movie and then pointed out some things that I thought were great. And Phil and Chris were incredibly gracious throughout that process. They were just seeing two different movies.

“So I came in, I had a blast, but there’s nothing personal about that film whatsoever. It’s still just a shame. I can’t wait for Phil and Chris’s next movie.”

Even though Solo wasn’t originally part of Howard’s career plans, he took it seriously, consulting none other than George Lucas himself. The legendary creator wasn’t involved in the production, but offered this classic piece of advice before Howard signed on:

“Just don’t forget — it’s for 12-year-old boys.”

That ethos shaped Howard’s direction for Solo, which was meant to kickstart a new branch of Star Wars storytelling. The film introduced younger versions of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) with big plans for sequels and spinoffs.

It even brought Darth Maul back into the canon spotlight. But after the film grossed just $392 million globally, those plans fizzled out.

Howard previously touched on the film’s rocky reception calling the box office outcome “disappointing,” despite how much fun he had making it.

“It made a lot of money, it just didn’t live up to expectations. I came in eager to help, felt like I could, and had a blast. Normally it takes three years, I worked eight months and had an experience. I feel very good about the way it turned out. I loved the way it played to audiences, which I witnessed. All of that I am able to feel good about.”

He also speculated that Solo might have leaned too hard on nostalgia.

“Maybe it’s the idea that it’s too nostalgic. That going back and revisiting an origin story for a beloved character may not be what the fans were looking for.”

Solo remains a divisive chapter in the galaxy far, far away, but I loved it, and Howard’s perspective sheds light on the complexities of major franchise filmmaking. At the end of the day, it’s clear there was passion behind the scenes, even if the final product didn’t hit the way Lucasfilm had hoped.