Han Solo Movie...In Trouble

[Udaman]

So the Han Solo movie just had their dual directors quit. They've brought in Ron Howard.

In a word, this is a mess. To have this kind of chaos on the set of a huge movie, this late into shooting...well, it's basically unheard of.

And I have to say, when I saw who they hired as the lead for Han Solo, I was stunned. I am definitely biased, but I thought Hail Caesar was almost unwatchable, and Alden Ehrenreich seemed to be massively overacting in just about every scene he was in. And Solo is a great character. You have gigantic shoes to fill with this. They SHOULD have brought in someone like Chris Pratt, or Chris Pine. Those guys have the charisma and comedic chops to carry a movie. Putting in a relatively new person? That was a shocker. And I'm guessing they are having problems now with the script, the other actors, the lead actor, the producers, everyone.

Not giving me much hope for the movie. Guess my summary would be...wait for it...wait for it...I've got a bad feeling about this.

[CameronBornAndBred]

And Solo is a great character. You have gigantic shoes to fill with this.

On that note, I remember an interview with Harrison Ford years back. I can't remember who the interviewer was, but I think it was one of the late night hosts. He asked if Ford would do Indiana Jones again. (This was long before Crystal Skulls.) His answer was "In a New York minute.
He asked the same about Han Solo, his reply was "No." Asked why, he answered "The character is a bit thin."

[Wander]

They SHOULD have brought in someone like Chris Pratt, or Chris Pine. Those guys have the charisma and comedic chops to carry a movie. Putting in a relatively new person? That was a shocker.

Well, Pratt and Pine are a little old if the movie is pre-A New Hope, right? Although it's not quite the same since it's an already established character, Star Wars has a tradition of casting relative unknowns in big roles, with the most recent example (Daisy Ridley) being a huge success.

[rasputin]

So the Han Solo movie just had their dual directors quit. They've brought in Ron Howard.

In a word, this is a mess. To have this kind of chaos on the set of a huge movie, this late into shooting...well, it's basically unheard of.

And I have to say, when I saw who they hired as the lead for Han Solo, I was stunned. I am definitely biased, but I thought Hail Caesar was almost unwatchable, and Alden Ehrenreich seemed to be massively overacting in just about every scene he was in. And Solo is a great character. You have gigantic shoes to fill with this. They SHOULD have brought in someone like Chris Pratt, or Chris Pine. Those guys have the charisma and comedic chops to carry a movie. Putting in a relatively new person? That was a shocker. And I'm guessing they are having problems now with the script, the other actors, the lead actor, the producers, everyone.

Not giving me much hope for the movie. Guess my summary would be...wait for it...wait for it...I've got a bad feeling about this.

Not unheard of. Selznick fired director George Cukor after shooting of Gone With The Wind had begun, and replaced him with Victor Fleming. And, obviously, this was a significant film; it was being made only a few years after the book was published (a book that millions of Americans had read), and the movie's opening is probably the most anticipated opening in Hollywood history.

[DU82]

Well, Opie has stepped in to direct, so it may get saved anyway (assuming that Howard can get back to his run in the '90s, as opposed to some recent mediocre offerings.)

[BD80]

Well, Opie has stepped in to direct, so it may get saved anyway (assuming that Howard can get back to his run in the '90s, as opposed to some recent mediocre offerings.)

He really hasn't done a movie like this, unless you count Willow (1988).

[OldPhiKap]

Funny Or Die has a really good video on Twitter addressing this, but alas I cannot figure out how to link.

[JasonEvans]

Here's the crazy thing -- the movie has largely already been shot. They went into shooting back in February and then took a break while Kennedy and Kasden looked at the footage. They did not like the way Lord/Miller had shot it and asked them to change. Lord/Miller said, "No, we know what we are doing," so Kathleen Kennedy fired them...

But, it is now being reported that Howard will only shoot a couple weeks of additional footage before taking another break and then doing about 5 weeks of re-shoots in a month or so. On a film like this there are always going to be reshoots. I guess the reshoots may be more extensive to cover up some of what the Star Wars execs did not like. Still, there is little question that a decent percentage of this film will be what Lord and Miller chose to shoot, not Howard's work (though Ron will have his say in edit, of course). Anyway, it is an interesting situation. I wonder if we will be able to see a bit of the different shooting styles in the final product. Given their history, I wonder if Lord and Miller went a bit too funny/slapstick for Kennedy/Kasden's taste?

-Jason "Ron Howard with a good script is usually a pretty safe combination... I don't think Inferno was really his fault as the script was terrible" Evans

[OldPhiKap]

Here's the crazy thing -- the movie has largely already been shot. They went into shooting back in February and then took a break while Kennedy and Kasden looked at the footage. They did not like the way Lord/Miller had shot it and asked them to change. Lord/Miller said, "No, we know what we are doing," so Kathleen Kennedy fired them...

But, it is now being reported that Howard will only shoot a couple weeks of additional footage before taking another break and then doing about 5 weeks of re-shoots in a month or so. On a film like this there are always going to be reshoots. I guess the reshoots may be more extensive to cover up some of what the Star Wars execs did not like. Still, there is little question that a decent percentage of this film will be what Lord and Miller chose to shoot, not Howard's work (though Ron will have his say in edit, of course). Anyway, it is an interesting situation. I wonder if we will be able to see a bit of the different shooting styles in the final product. Given their history, I wonder if Lord and Miller went a bit too funny/slapstick for Kennedy/Kasden's taste?

-Jason "Ron Howard with a good script is usually a pretty safe combination... I don't think Inferno was really his fault as the script was terrible" Evans

Maybe they should let the Coen brothers do one, too. Then Rob Reiner in a more improv story. Then Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.

They may have hit on a winning gimmick.

(actually I think Ron Howard will do fine although as you say he's stitching together a beast pretty much built by others at this point).

[Edouble]

So the Han Solo movie just had their dual directors quit. They've brought in Ron Howard.

In a word, this is a mess. To have this kind of chaos on the set of a huge movie, this late into shooting...well, it's basically unheard of.

And I have to say, when I saw who they hired as the lead for Han Solo, I was stunned. I am definitely biased, but I thought Hail Caesar was almost unwatchable, and Alden Ehrenreich seemed to be massively overacting in just about every scene he was in. And Solo is a great character. You have gigantic shoes to fill with this. They SHOULD have brought in someone like Chris Pratt, or Chris Pine. Those guys have the charisma and comedic chops to carry a movie. Putting in a relatively new person? That was a shocker. And I'm guessing they are having problems now with the script, the other actors, the lead actor, the producers, everyone.

Not giving me much hope for the movie. Guess my summary would be...wait for it...wait for it...I've got a bad feeling about this.

It was unwatchable. I had to stop about 30 minutes in and find another movie. I really can't remember the last time I paid to rent a movie and just gave up like that.

On that note, I remember an interview with Harrison Ford years back. I can't remember who the interviewer was, but I think it was one of the late night hosts. He asked if Ford would do Indiana Jones again. (This was long before Crystal Skulls.) His answer was "In a New York minute.
He asked the same about Han Solo, his reply was "No." Asked why, he answered "The character is a bit thin."

I remember that interview as well. It was a Barbara Walters pre-Oscars special.

[JasonEvans]

I think this is a good point to mention something...

Harrison Ford is a wonderful actor. He has birthed at least 2 of the great characters in cinematic history (Indiana Jones and Han Solo) and has been the lead in many other films that have won critical and commercial acclaim (Witness, Air Force One, Blade Runner, The Fugutive, and so on). From a boxoffice perspective, the films he has starred (main character, not counting medium-sized supporting roles) in represent the highest boxoffice total of all time. Put another way, he is arguably the most successful actor or actress in cinematic history.

But, he's kinda a real jerk.

I interviewed him once. It was back when I was at CNN and he was doing a press junket for Firewall. I know press junkets are no fun for the actors, but he was far and away the most difficult, ornery, and unpleasant person I have ever encountered on a junket. He was barking orders at underlings and seemed utterly uninterested in making the interview worthwhile. And, to be clear, I make sure my junket interviews are not the same dull and predictable questions everyone gets. I put great pain into asking stuff that will be a little more thought provoking than, "What was it like working with director xxxxxxx and gorgeous starlet yyyyyyy?" or "Tell me how you prepared for this role?" Yawn... those are the questions that never, ever get a truly honest response. I have heard numerous similar stories from other film media journalists.

Ford is known for being cold an aloof on the set of his films. Other actors don't really like him all that much. When Carrie Fisher recently wrote about their affair in her autobiography, you can tell that she did not look back on her relationship with him fondly.

Ford yanks Fisher away from the party and into a car — and starts making out with her. He is married and has two kids. He is 14 years older than her. She is drunk, and he just finished saying she isn’t aware enough to make rational decisions. And that’s how their affair starts.

More than a third of Princess Diarist is devoted to her talking in mournful circles around their hook-ups. While carefully avoiding any intimate details, she portrays Ford as monosyllabic, withholding, forbidding, and intimidating. In public, she says, he largely ignored her. In private, they had sex, but barely spoke to each other.

We are talking about a guy who has been married 3 times. I'm not saying getting divorced multiple times makes you a bad person, but... well... it isn't exactly a sign that you are the easiest person to be around.

Anyway, I say all that to point out that when Harrison Ford criticized Han Solo for "being thin," that may just be Ford being prickly, difficult, and a bit of an I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this..

-Jason "but the dude makes some great movies, of that we can all agree" Evans

[BD80]

I think this is a good point to mention something...

Harrison Ford is a wonderful actor. ...

But, he's kinda a real jerk.

...

Anyway, I say all that to point out that when Harrison Ford criticized Han Solo for "being thin," that may just be Ford being prickly, difficult, and a bit of an I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this..

-Jason "but the dude makes some great movies, of that we can all agree" Evans

And, unlike Han Solo, he's a lousy pilot ...