I don't know if you missed it or not, but most existing EU material was scrubbed from canon when Disney took over. So the safe bet is no, it won't.
^^Listen to this person.
Back in 2013, after Kasdan was first announced to be writing a spin-off film, he specifically said he wasn't looking at the books.
That said, it doesn't prevent the movie from having similarities to the books. They just wouldn't be planned that way.
And it could also be possible if Lucas developed any background or reference material about Han's past, those ideas could end up in both the books and the movie. But that's just me speculating.
I don't know if you missed it or not, but most existing EU material was scrubbed from canon when Disney took over. So the safe bet is no, it won't.
Yeah they pretty much wiped the slate clean, which was probably the best thing to do if they plan on tying up the future films, cartoons and books to the previously made movies and cartoons. But I wouldn't be surprised if they cherry pick things out of the old EU books to use. For example they've added Admiral Thrawn to the Rebels cartoon for the new series.
Nice to see they reaffirmed the release date in that article. Last few releases only said "2018," which was leading to rumors of it moving from May to December like Episode VIII did.
“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. A new director will be announced soon,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, our vision and process weren’t aligned with our partners on this project. 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,” Lord and Miller said in their matching statement.
Quote:
Lucasfilm has had a bumpy time with its standalone “Star Wars Stories.” The Han Solo project is the second to go into production, following last year’s blockbuster Rogue One. That film was plagued by rumors of behind-the-scenes troubles, and the Disney-run Lucasfilm brought in Tony Gilroy to help director Gareth Edwards reshape the film, with several scenes being cut and added at the last minute. (Among the notable cuts was Jyn’s “this is a rebellion, I rebel” line so prominently featured in the initial teasers; 11th-hour additions included Darth Vader’s climactic attack scene.)
Previously, Lucasfilm pulled the plug on a different standalone film — reportedly following Boba Fett’s early bounty hunting escapades — to be helmed by Josh Trank, following the filmmaker’s disastrous Fantastic Four reboot. Trank’s project, which was originally supposed to follow Rogue One, was shuttered in 2015, shortly before Han Solo with Miller and Lord was announced.
I enjoy the work of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, particularly the adventures of Phil Miller, in Last Man on Earth. The pilot episodes they directer were great, then the experimental first season tested how long an audience would stick with an unlikable protagonist. As an Indyfan though, I'll side with the Kasdans:
Quote:
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the style and vision of Lord and Miller clashed with that of Lawrence Kasdan, the legendary screenwriter behind the classics Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, who also wrote, with his son, Jon Kasdan, the script for the Han Solo stand-alone set (for now) to be released in 2018.
Lord and Miller (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) have a comedic sensibility and improvisational style while Kasdan favors a strict adherence to the written word — what is on the page is what must be shot.
The creative clash, according to one insider, also came down to differences in understanding the character of Han Solo. “People need to understand that Han Solo is not a comedic personality. He’s sarcastic and selfish,” said that source. The friction was felt almost immediately when the movie began shooting in February.
Meanwhile they're trying to get their Flash job back.
Spielberg never got to direct a Star Wars flick but Richie Cunningham does?
Seriously Kathleen Kennedy? You can't do better than that?
Howard's films are inert and devoid of emotion. I can't see what drove this decision beyond desperation and/or economics (he's had such a streak of flops, I guess he came cheap).
Spielberg never got to direct a Star Wars flick but Richie Cunningham does?
Seriously Kathleen Kennedy? You can't do better than that?
Howard's films are inert and devoid of emotion. I can't see what drove this decision beyond desperation and/or economics (he's had such a streak of flops, I guess he came cheap).
Supposedly Howard was offered a chance to direct one of the prequels back when Lucas was coming up with the idea. He obviously turned it down so maybe that gave them the idea to reach out to him. He's a strange choice, to say the least, but I'm not really hyped for this film so I'm not sure why I care. We'll just have to wait and see.
Spielberg never got to direct a Star Wars flick but Richie Cunningham does?
Seriously Kathleen Kennedy? You can't do better than that?
Howard's films are inert and devoid of emotion. I can't see what drove this decision beyond desperation and/or economics (he's had such a streak of flops, I guess he came cheap).
Spielberg was asked just last year(when he directed "The BFG" for Disney) in a interview if he'd ever direct a Star Wars movie. He stated pretty clearly "I'm never going to make a Star Wars movie. It's not my genre." I suppose he could've been persuaded if the price was high enough, but it's clearly not of much to him(considering how closely tied he is to that other Lucasfilm brand).
We're all kind of in speculation mode as to what has happened, but as Moedred pointed out, it seems Lord and Miller were likely making this project their own at the expense of Kasdan's writing and the brand at large and how its perceived. Howard, as you've pointed out, doesn't have much of a vision, and is, at best, Spielberg-lite. Basically, unlike Lord and Miller, he'll just shoot it "as is", and will do whatever Lucasfilm tells him to do.
Which is too bad. I was actually starting to look forward to this film because of the different director sensibilities and the chance for this film to break out from what we perceive as "Star Wars" and give us something new and exciting, as I've gotten a little bored with Star Wars since Disney's acquisition. But ultimately, that's how business goes.
For those too young to remember, Howard already directed a movie for Lucasfilm. A little fantasy flick titled Willow.
I've already seen some amusing conjecture that he got the Han Solo job because he was secretly talking to them about making Willow 2, and so happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Ron is doing them a favor. He's coming in because he's a great guy, and will rally the cast and crew to finish the film. That being said, this is quite possibly Superman II territory here, I mean, WOW. Frankly you don't fire directors for "injecting humor." You fire them when they spend too much money, or don't deliver needed shots on schedule, or refuse to shoot certain scenes they feel are not required, etc.
You fire them when they spend too much money, or don't deliver needed shots on schedule, or refuse to shoot certain scenes they feel are not required, etc.
Actually, it's starting to sound like you're not too far off from what happened.
But others on the project say they pushed too far. It wasn’t just a question of tone. The variations added up to significantly change the story. They may have been brought aboard to give young Han Solo a wiseacre vibe and an irreverent style, but Lucasfilm still felt the directors had a responsibility to tell the story as written.
When dailies began rolling in featuring improvisation from the actors and new ideas from the directors that significantly parted ways with the script, the relationship with the home office at Lucasfilm became fraught. As principal photography for the movie approached its end, it became clear that the filmmakers and producers did not share the same vision for some critical scenes.
Reshoots were always possible (they are factored into almost every major film these days, and each new Star Wars project has undergone them), but as Lord and Miller dug in, refusing to compromise on what they saw as best for the film, the partnership went from strained to fractured. If they wouldn’t do the scenes as Lucasfilm and Kennedy wanted them now, why would they do them that way during reshoots?
They were basically refusing to shoot the studio-approved version of the story they were hired to direct, and got canned for it.
And I can't blame the studio for it. These guys were hired a year and a half before filming began... if they wanted things to be different from that script, they had plenty of time to bring up any ideas beforehand instead of unilaterally deciding to change things mid-shoot.
They were basically refusing to shoot the studio-approved version of the story they were hired to direct, and got canned for it.
And I can't blame the studio for it. These guys were hired a year and a half before filming began... if they wanted things to be different from that script, they had plenty of time to bring up any ideas beforehand instead of unilaterally deciding to change things mid-shoot.
Kathleen has been bashed by fans, but her track record speaks for itself. She's a BIG 2 for 2 on these SW films. These guys specialize in goofy comedy, which as that article said was why they were hired. However, this is a $275 million dollar film, and the studio will have their say, it's that simple. The script must be followed, because there's massive amounts of money tied to that. Ron will come in, get the cameras rolling, and the film will be released next year and make another billion bucks probably.