Two days after the firing of directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord, Ron Howard has reportedly stepped in to direct Lucasfilm and Disney’s upcoming Star Wars Han Solo spinoff, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The directing duo, known for The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street, was dismissed after three-fourths of the movie was filmed, citing “creative differences,†ostensibly with producer Kathleen Kennedy and co-writer and executive producer Lawrence Kasdan. Per Variety: “It was a culture clash from day one,†a source said. “[Kennedy] didn’t even like the way they folded their socks.â€
An announcement detailing Howard’s entrance is expected Thursday morning. Sources told THR that Howard will meet with the cast — stars Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Thandie Newton — and examine the footage to see what work needs to be done. There were reportedly three-and-a-half more weeks of shooting scheduled, plus five weeks of reshoots. Howard won an Oscar for directing 2002’s A Beautiful Mind and worked with George Lucas on American Graffiti and Willow. The untitled Han Solo movie will tell the smuggler’s life story from ages 18 to 24, and reveal how he found the Millennium Falcon.