It seems to be a prerequisite that if you make a Star Wars movie these days, there has to be more drama behind the camera than in front of it. The folks at Lucasfilm and Disney apparently do not have a talent for hiring their top choice to direct, so they have to eventually replace them during production and Solo: A Star Wars Story is a prime example of this.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the creative minds behind 21 and 22 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie, were brought in to write and helm the prequel story of Han Solo. But before finishing principal photography, they left the project, with veteran director Ron Howard taking over. Solo went on to become the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie by a mile and paired with The Rise of Skywalker’s lukewarm response, Disney decided to reassess their future plans for the franchise on the big screen.
Despite being a contributing factor in this major shakeup, Solo has developed a strong following since its release that’s led to speculation of a continuation of the story, perhaps on Disney Plus rather than in theaters. But according to Howard, there are no plans to do another one.
“Well, there’s no sequel planned now and it’s amazing to be a part of a Star Wars movie that seems to be a kind of underground hit, which is not what you’d expect, but that’s been an odd, strange journey for that movie,” Howard revealed to Radio Andy on SiriusXM.
It’s strange to think of a Star Wars movie as an “underground hit.” But that’s the power of fandom, for better or worse. And with the success of The Mandalorian, Disney now sees a viable path for future stories heading to streaming rather than the big screen. Imagine saying that out loud five years ago.
Solo star Alden Ehrenreich has said he’s interested in returning to the character, but whether or not Howard returns remains to be seen. Who knows, maybe they’d give the sequel – if one ends up happening – to his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed an episode of The Mandalorian?