The shocking firing of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the young Han Solo Star Wars anthology film has fans trying to make sense of the unprecedented situation and what it means for Lucasfilm moving forward. According to the reports, studio president Kathleen Kennedy and veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan were displeased with Lord and Miller's approach to the material and a falling out between the various parties ensued. Creative differences are fairly commonplace in the age of the shared cinematic universe, where executives have their own ideas for their properties that may not jive with those of the directors. Typically, however, those kinks are ironed out before production begins. If Lord and Miller were removed from Han Solo prior to filming, this wouldn't be as big of a deal. The fact they were dismissed after four months of shooting (with three weeks left on the schedule) is alarming.

Coincidentally, it was around this time last year word of Rogue One's extensive reshoots became public, similarly sending the Star Wars fandom into a state of panic. Though the drama surrounding Gareth Edwards' standalone seems quite tame in comparison to this fiasco, it is somewhat concerning that the first two spinoff movies out of the gate have been hit with massive problems. Every tentpole undergoes additionally photography, but it's not normal for nearly half the film to be remade in six months. Likewise, firing directors near the end of principal photography is almost unheard of in this era. Since these anthologies are giving Lucasfilm headache after headache, it's worth wondering if the studio is in need of some new leadership at the top.

Kathleen Kennedy's Old School

Kathleen Kennedy gives a speech after being announced as LucasFilm chief

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012, George Lucas handpicked Kathleen Kennedy to run the company. Under her guidance, the Star Wars franchise would move in exciting new directions with a sequel trilogy in the Skywalker saga and standalone off-shoots to help expand the canon. Kennedy is a legendary Hollywood producer whose résumé speaks for itself. Some of the films she's been involved with aren't just hits - they're industry defining. Over the year's she's helped bring the likes of E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit to the big screen. Kennedy's filmography also includes Oscar contending dramas such as Schindler's List, The Sixth Sense, and Lincoln. It's safe to say she has a good idea about what makes a quality film, and it's easy to see why Lucas entrusted her with his baby five years ago.

Kennedy is a veteran who has been around the block, but the one common denominator with her pre-Disney genre fare is that they all came from a bygone era of moviemaking when the blockbuster was still a novel concept and Lucas and Steven Spielberg were in their primes. Films like Indiana JonesE.T., and Jurassic Park were all special in their own way, but each felt as if it they were cut from a similar cloth. They were fun escapism that gave viewers two hours of thrills and adventures, introducing audiences to likable characters including Marty McFly and Ian Malcolm. For a good stretch of time, these types of films dominated the industry, raking in hundreds of millions of box office dollars and earning much critical acclaim. Nobody is denying Kennedy has many fine credits to her name.

It's these sensibilities that made her an ideal pick to oversee the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which kicked off with The Force Awakens in 2015. As a continuation of the story told in the original trilogy (released from 1977-1983), it only made sense for the new films to adapt that style and tone, mixing them with the wonders of modern film technology. One of the greatest attributes of Episode VII was that it "felt" like a Star Wars film, appealing to millions of people around the globe due to its charmingly retro throwback nature that was reminiscent (arguably a little too much) of the classic movies. Star Wars 7 had a troubled pre-production that saw Abrams and Kasdan rewrite the script before filming, but once the crew assembled, things went relatively smoothly (save for the broken leg of Harrison Ford). Likewise, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi has (fortunately) not encountered any major issues, happily making its way through post with the director commenting on how much creative control he had over the project.

For all the divisiveness of The Force Awakens, it's hard to deny its success. The film shattered almost every box office record in the book, earned the best reviews of the series since The Empire Strikes Back, and was named one of the 10 best movies of the year by the American Film Institute - quite the accomplishments. Episode VIII looks poised to follow its footsteps with a story that promises to be different from its predecessors, but still maintain the well-known Star Wars style. But with the saga poised to possibly end after Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX, Lucasfilm is going to have to figure out what they want out of the spinoffs if the galaxy far, far away is to thrive in theaters for years to come.

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Star Wars Spinoff Problems

When the concept of Star Wars anthology films was first announced, people were sold on the idea that they didn't have to slavishly devote themselves to the traditional Star Wars look and feel. They would be an opportunity to broaden the brand's horizons by playing around with different genres and tones. This is similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has demonstrated the versatility of the comic book adaptation over the years with a political thriller (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), a space opera (Guardians of the Galaxy), and a heist film (Ant-Man). It's a way for that franchise to stay fresh as they keep adding to their ever-growing line-up of productions, and Kevin Feige has shown a willingness to bend the rules a bit. This year, Marvel will release Spider-Man: Homecoming (a John Hughes-inspired teen comedy) and Thor: Ragnarok (an intergalactic buddy road trip). All MCU films still have to fit in line with Marvel's vision - ask Edgar Wright - but they do blend techniques.

It looked like Star Wars was following a similar trajectory when Rogue One was billed as a gritty war drama in space. Granted, the end result very much lived up to that - killing all the main characters in a third act battle. However, the final product was substantially overhauled in reshoots, with complete plot points and character arcs changed. There was no shortage of rumors detailing the reasoning behind them, but speculation pointed to the higher-ups feeling the original vision wasn't "Star Wars-y" enough and the movie had to be fixed with Tony Gilroy collecting a $5 million paycheck to manage the reshoots. The grand finale was completely changed, with the Scarif space battle seemingly a major last-minute addition (due to the sizable increase in special effects shots). The dogfight recalled the one from Return of the Jedi and definitely felt like Star Wars, complete with crowd-pleasing moments like a Hammerhead corvette colliding into a Star Destroyer. What could have been a relatively smaller scale ground assault (think D-Day) morphed into an all-encompassing battle in several locations.

Rogue One A Star Wars Story - X-Wing at Scariff Shield Gate

Lord and Miller's firing is still fresh and details continue to come out, but the initial reports suggest something similar for Han Solo. Digging deeper underneath the "creative differences" claims, word is Kennedy was very controlling on-set, a fact that surprised Lord and Miller. The producer was not a fan of the directors' shooting styles and handling of the actors, with some rumors saying substantial reshoots were planned for later this year to fix problems with the performances and action set pieces. It's also been said that Lord and Miller were aiming to make Han Solo a more comedic film than initially intended. The smuggler has always had a sarcastic dry wit about him, but he was never a straight up funny figure. Of course, this origin story looked to show how Han became the cynic in A New Hope, so maybe his arc was to go from light-hearted to jaded. It's something fans will never know. Regardless, the names that have popped up on the replacement shortlist - Ron Howard, Joe Johnston, Kasdan - indicate Kennedy wants something a little more traditional than the new school Lord and Miller were shooting for.

What's most baffling about this is the timing of it all. Lord and Miller were hired nearly two years ago and went right to work on developing the story. They remained on board all through the pre-production process last year, and Lucasfilm obviously approved casting decisions like Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, and Emilia Clarke. It's troubling that Kennedy waited this long to make a move and remove Lord and Miller. If the reports are true and there was a "culture clash from day one," it didn't make much sense to stick with them for four months. Robert Zemeckis knew Eric Stoltz wasn't right for Marty McFly after a few weeks of filming and made the switch to Michael J. Fox early on, saving Back to the Future in the process. It reads as a complete mismanagement of the situation that Kennedy even hired Lord and Miller when their trademark irreverent style is widely known after the success of 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie. There was likely a wide search for a Han Solo director, and now the studio needs to do damage control.

Conclusion

Star Wars Anthology Movies

The nightmares of the first two Star Wars spinoffs trying to make their way to the big screen suggest that Lucasfilm isn't sure what they want these movies to be. Initially, they had the leeway to be different from the episodes, but it sounds like the opposite based on what's been going on. Kennedy either needs to become more open to radically fresh takes or change her tune on what the standalones are. If she stays too imbued in her established sensibilities and makes the anthologies feel more "Star Wars-y" than they were originally, Lucasfilm runs the risk of making their cash cow go stale quick. Whiz-bang operas like The Force Awakens are great, but if every film is like that, casual audiences could grow tired of it.

There could also be substantial longterm repercussions. Lord and Miller's departure is not a good look for Lucasfilm no matter how anyone spins it. The duo rose to the top of the A-list thanks to their creative voices, and seemed to be rewarded with the chance of a lifetime. Instead, they were pushed out, and that sends a bad message to the rest of the industry. Fans have expressed a desire for auteurs like Edgar Wright and Ava DuVernay to lend their talents to this faraway galaxy, but that seems unlikely unless Kennedy becomes a little more flexible with how the spinoffs are handled. Yes, Star Wars canon must be adhered to, but it's a little odd to give Rian Johnson free reign on The Last Jedi while arguably micromanaging Lord and Miller at the same time.

Of course, Rogue One earned mostly positive reviews and made $1 billion worldwide, so the ends could justify the means. That being said, Edwards went through hell to complete Rogue One, and some viewers felt the film suffered from choppy editing and thin characterizations due to the reshoots. The Han Solo movie was the one everyone was skeptical about from the beginning, and now the cloud of doubt just looms larger over the whole production. Lord and Miller's involvement was a big reason people were optimistic about its prospects. Now, the future of Star Wars could be in a state of flux. Kennedy seems like a good fit for the saga films, but if spinoffs are to carry the franchise into the next decade, Lucasfilm needs to decide the best course of action.

MORE: Lawrence Kasdan & Joe Johnston Being Considered for Han Solo

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