Ron Howard will direct untitled Han Solo film

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were originally tapped to helm the movie.

ByABC News
June 22, 2017, 11:14 AM

— -- Ron Howard will direct the upcoming untitled Han Solo film, Lucasfilm confirmed Thursday.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker will begin shooting on July 10.

“At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie.”

It was announced earlier this week that co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller would no longer oversee the project. In a statement, the two chalked up their departure to "creative differences."

“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 cliche is true. We are really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew.”

Though many details are still unknown about the film, it has been confirmed that Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover will star as younger versions of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, respectively. Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton will also appear in the movie, which is slated to be released on May 25, 2018.

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