Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the writing and directing team behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, have been fired from the Han Solo Star Wars spinoff film they were directing, Variety reports. The film has been shooting since February but still has several weeks remaining; reshoots are already scheduled for later this summer.
According to Variety, Lord and Miller clashed with producer Kathleen Kennedy and co-writer and executive producer Lawrence Kasdan. The duo wanted more freedom than Kennedy was willing to give them, and after months of fighting, Kennedy fired them. “Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it’s become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we’ve decided to part ways,” she said in a statement.
Lord and Miller were equally conciliatory in their statement. “Unfortunately, our vision and process weren’t aligned with our partners on this project,” they said. “We normally aren’t fans of the phrase ‘creative differences’ but for once this cliché is true. We are really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew.”
It’s unclear who will be brought in to direct the film or how credit will be divided, since Lord and Miller were in the middle of shooting when they left the project. Deadline suggests that Ron Howard is currently the top choice, although Lawrence Kasdan’s name has also been floated.
The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo and features Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, and Woody Harrelson. According to Disney, it will open on May 25, 2018, no matter who directs.
