Ron Howard opens up the Condor in more detail than ever, taking over the Star Wars prequel film “Sound” after creative differences between Lucasfilm and original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Howard said it all depends on the tone of the movie. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy asked him to attend a lunch meeting, and “Sound” co-author Jonathan Kasdan joined the lunch meeting.
“They basically said, 'We've reached a creative impasse with Lord and Miller. Would you consider it?'” Howard recalls. “I looked at some editors and saw what was bothering them. There was a studio that loved scripts and wanted a 'Star Wars' movie, but there was a disconnect early on, and they weren't sure what Phil and Chris were doing were working effectively.”
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Howard continued, “I can’t judge this because I can’t see enough to know. But they’re sure.” They said, “Once I said, ‘Okay, I think I can do this script, I think I understand what you think about this script,” they said, ‘We want to recast a lot. 'I watched the whole movie and I thought something great.
Howard even had the opportunity to consult with Star Wars creator George Lucas, who was not involved in the development or shooting of the “solo”. He received Lucas' advice before Howard promised to take over as the director of the “Soul”. The Creator told him: “Just don't forget – this is for a 12-year-old boy.”
“Solo” was supposed to launch a new storytelling field for “Star Wars” that includes a young iteration of Alden Ehrenreich and introduces sequels and spinoffs. The 2018 film also revealed that Darth Maul from “The Phantom Threat” is still alive. None of these plans took shape after the box office bombarded the world's box office “solo” of only $392 million.
Appearing in “Happy Sorrow Confused” podcast In 2019, Howard called the response to the film “disappointing”. He said: “It made a lot of money, it didn't meet expectations. I was eager to help, I felt I could, and it exploded. It usually took three years, I worked for eight months and experienced an experience. I felt very good about the way the results were. I loved playing the audience, and I witnessed everything about me.
Howard believes nostalgia is the reason why “solo” might be bombarded at the box office. “Maybe it's too nostalgic,” he said. “Looking back and revisiting the origin story of a beloved character may not be what fans want.”
Go to Vulture's website to read Howard's interview in full.
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