Disney's Director Change on Han Solo Creates a Disturbance in The Force
ALM Media
Updated
Disney s upcoming Star Wars prequel about the young Han Solo is by light years the most potentially lucrative movie ever to switch directors in the middle of shooting.
Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz did it, but that was in a galaxy far, far away, before modern marketing, merchandising, the foreign box office and theme parks.
NEW YORK, NY , USA - APRIL 20: Filmmaker Ron Howard attends National Geographic
Ron Howard (shutterstock)
Given that, a Millennium Falcon-size headache would seem a real possibility for Matthew Johnson and Sam Fischer of Ziffren Brittenham LLP, the legal team that would in theory rework the contracts of the exited directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Then there would be getting the new director, Oscar-winner Ron Howard, under contract and up and running, satisfying the Directors Guild of America and sorting out the credits issue, and keeping on track the most prestigious and lucrative properties owned by Lucasfilm and Disney.
The public statements from all involved have been gracious, but not all is joy and lightsabers. As details of ongoing frustration on the set of the Han Solo film seep out, the normally forthcoming DGA, in which Lord and Miller are members, refused to make anyone available for this story, even on background. Ditto for Disney and Lucasfilm.
Star Wars Logo
None of the principals are saying a word, but it s hard not to imagine that the culture and stylistic friction leading up to the split have taken a toll on Lord and Miller. The duo certainly didn t want sacked from Star Wars on their resumes, but will be just fine. They are reportedly considering returning to helm the DC superhero movie The Flash at Warner Bros. Producer Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back with Leigh Brackett, and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy are now lightning rods for the franchise s huge, protective and energized fan base. Kasdan and Kennedy could well have been singed badly had they not chosen such an accomplished American filmmaker to step in. His credits include Apollo 13, Cocoon and A Beautiful Mind, and as a boy he played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show.
Barring a protracted, high-profile battle, bad feelings over the dealings shouldn t affect the performance of the movie when it opens next year as scheduled on Memorial Day weekend, according to Comcast box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars
the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars
That fan base is rabid now, but a year from now I don t think it will matter. That should be a huge weekend and there s no reason to think it won t hit $100 million in its opening, he said. The Force Awakens and Rogue One opened to $248 million and $155 million respectively in 2015 and 2016, grossing $936 million and $532 million globally. The Last Jedi opens prior to the holidays this year.
The switch illustrates the conundrum that Disney and Lucasfilms face in trying to keep the revived Star Wars franchise fresh.
Go with an iconoclastic director with a distinct, contemporary and unique vision and the essence, spirit and core appeal of the films could be lost; go with a purveyor of the tried-and-true and you run the risk of becoming another formulaic franchise in which financial considerations drive the decisions, at least in the eyes of your fans.
The switch on the Han Solo film also highlights a pitfall for directors working on established intellectual property with a long history that is owned by the studio.
Lord and Miller have successfully navigated that issue in the recent past.
The team, which has been on a roll with films imbued with a self-aware irreverence and pop culture sensibility, enjoyed their biggest score came with the 2014 blockbuster Lego Movie.
Lord and Miller s comic sensibility included a gentle mocking of the Batman character. Even so, Warners Bros. gave the go-ahead even though the Lego Movie poked fun at what is arguably its most valuable film property. The gamble paid off: The Lego Movie made $469 million at the worldwide box office.
But creative differences in both style and substance between Lord and Miller and Kasdan reportedly drove Lucasfilms Kennedy to make the shift.
The ad-libbing and free-form filming that produced the duo s hits didn t translate as well to a blockbuster-size project with a budget and cast to match. But no one accused Lord and Miller of anything wrong, or even coming up short.
It may simply have been a case where Kennedy and other Disney execs thought that their irreverent, edgy style of humor was great, until they realized it was their baby, Star Wars, they were playing with, said one rival film executive.
Young directors known for their distinctive vision have had trouble taking on the Lucasfilm blockbusters to be.
Of course, it s hard for young directors to gain the experience of dealing with a huge cast and a massive budget and the pressures that go with it. It s not just the project of the moment, it s the legacy and brand to consider. After Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Disney will release one every year through 2020: Star Wars Anthology: Han Solo, 2018; Star Wars: Episode 9, 2019; and Star Wars Anthology: Boba Fett, 2020. And more are in the drawing board, through 2030.
When you consider all that Disney and Lucasfilm have riding on these films, it s not hard to see why they re being so careful, said Dergarabedian.
Contact the reporter at tcunningham@alm.com. On Twitter: @toddcnnnghm.
