Disney dropped a grenade on all of us just hours ago when it was learned directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were gone from the untitled Han Solo spinoff. While "creative differences" are recognized as the reason, the circumstances of the departure differ depending on the source. For instance, Variety comes right out and says they were "fired" after months of disagreements with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and longtime exec-producer/co-writer/Star Wars mainstay Lawrence Kasdan. Kennedy promised a new director would be named "soon", and already there's a frontrunner.
Ron Howard has apparently emerged as the top choice to take over the Han Solo standalone film. Also in the mix is Kasdan himself, who could then fix everything he didn't like about Lord and Miller's approach. But Howard could presumably do the same thing. He's a seasoned pro with a style that isn't necessarily flashy or distinctive. He could step in to a sci-fi genre he's quite familiar with, and just keep the trains running on time, so to speak.
So not the most exciting pick by any means, but perhaps the most reasonable if they want to hit that May 2018 release date. [Deadline]
