AfterPhil Lord and Chris Miller were let go from the untitled Han Solo Star Wars spinoff over creative differences, Disney and Lucasfilm said they would be announcing their replacement soon. Ron Howard, Joe Johnston, and Lawrence Kasdan were among the top names on the shortlist of replacements.

Now Howard has been named director and he will take over the remaining three and a half weeks of production. More on the story below.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news earlier today. The hiring comes at a time when Lord and Miller parted ways from the project over creative differences. The Academy Award-winning director, who is considered to be a very safe pick for the film, has had some experience working on a Lucasfilm project in the past. He appeared in American Graffiti and directed Willow. He also said that Lucas offered him to direct Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Howard is expected to start production on the film immediately. Variety says it’s not clear how much this will all cost but all of that will be determined once he looks at what has been shot and sees what it needs. There will also be five weeks worth of production. But that is normal for any project like this.

Both Lord and Miller spent nearly four and a half months on the project, and were let go when they clashed with Kasdan over the execution of the script. The directors favored a comedic improvisational style of filmmaking while Kasdan wanted to stick to the script. With only a few weeks left, Howard will now meet with Alden Ehrenreich, who plays Han Solo; Donald Glover, who plays Lando Calrissian; and the rest of the cast, including Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Thandie Newton, to clear the air and ease any possible tensions.

What’s not clear is what kind of credit Howard will receive on the project. While Kasdan was under consideration, DGA rules prevented his hiring from happening. It’s very likely that he could simply share credit with Lord and Miller, but unlikely that he won’t take any credit at all. Lord and Miller could make an appeal, but DGA will make the final decision.

[Source: THR | Variety]