After the spin-off Han Solo movie was hit by the loss of its directors earlier this week, LucasFilm and Disney have acted quickly to fill the gap vacated by announcing Hollywood heavyweight Ron Howard as its replacement.

Two days ago, it was reported that the Star Wars spin-off prequel project suffered the loss of its two directors when Phil Lord and Christopher Miller both walked off the movie, officially put down to “creative differences” with producers.

However, it’s now been confirmed that 63 year old Howard, who was named in the original reports as the favourite to take over, has officially stepped in as director on the movie.

Ron HowardRon Howard is to direct the Han Solo movie

LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement on Thursday (June 22nd) that she was “thrilled” to have landed a prestigious name in the form of Howard, who has directed huge blockbusters such as Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code and Rush.

The movie, which currently doesn’t have a title and is scheduled for release on May 25th, 2018, will resume filming on July 10th.

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“At LucasFilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began 40 years ago,” Kennedy said in a statement. “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.”

The project features Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, in a film that will tell the backstory of one of the heroes of the Star Wars saga.

The strong cast also features the likes of Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Donald Glover and ‘Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke.

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