In came Ron Howard to take over the film. Howard reportedly reshot much of what Lord and Miller had done. And in an interview with EW, Howard chatted about taking the job. The director explained that getting the call to direct a Star Wars film was a bit of a surprise, especially since he hadn’t planned to direct anything in 2017. “But when I learned that this change was happening, it just came in a moment where I was working on lots of new projects for Imagine, and I had not planned to direct anything last year. So then this came my way, and I was talking to Kathy [Kennedy], and the now tragically late Alli Shearmur, an old friend. I was reluctant, but I also began to feel that I could help.” “It’s disappointing that any company ever feels like they have to make a change like that,” he said of the removal of Lord and Miller from the production. “It’s rough on everybody and disappointing for everybody, and I’ve just tried to come in and — of course, Phil and Chris’ fingerprints are all over the movie, given how much they put into it and the time they put into it. I hope fans won’t even think about how the movie was made. They should just lose themselves in it.” It’s unclear just how much of Lord and Miller’s vision remains in the final cut of the film. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, it’s now being estimated that Howard reshoot around 70% of Lord and Miller’s footage, as part of his overhaul of the movie. Lord and Miller are credited as executive producers on Solo while Howard is credited as director. The film lands in cinemas on May 25.
