Since Howard already has an undoubtedly great script via Kasdan, I'm sure it will be fine.

He's a "safe" choice, for sure.

KK seems hell bent on getting these movies "right", so it'll be interesting to see what happens with Trevorrow's script and direction, considering The Book of Henry is getting absolutely slaughtered by critics and the box office.

While I've really enjoyed several of Howard's films, Willow certainly wasn't one of them. I'll never understand the love for that piece of crap. It was a lame, shameless Star Wars ripoff. Lucas should have sued himself for writing it.

Not sure how you are equating Willow to a Star Wars ripoff???

Luke = Willow, an apprentice to a wizard

Obi Wan = The High Aldwin, wizard

Han Solo = Madmartigan, mercenary that helps Willow

The Emperor = Queen Bavmorda

Leia = Sorsha, daughter to the Queen who falls in love with Madmartigan

Darth Vader = General Kael, henchman for the Queen

R2D2 & C3PO = Rool and Franjean, pair for comic relief

The dwarf was Luke, Kilmer was Han, Whaley was Leia. You had a Vader-like villain and a Death Star like castle.

Seriously, how do you not see that?

Thank you.

Okay so Ron Howard is on board. I can dig it. Hopefully this will all work itself out. I'm definitely rooting for this film to be good.

I always knew it was a ripoff of Star Wars, but still liked it.

I can definitely see the leaks now, but it's still entertaining. A lot of Howard's stuff hit me t just the right moment I guess. Cocoon, Parenthood, Backdraft, Night Shift, Splash, Etc. great stuff.

Perhaps if I'd been a bit younger when I first saw it I would have liked it more. But I wasn't.

Huh. Hadn't put that all together before. Sure enough.

I doubt I could successfully grow a dandelion

ROFL

I'll get you some bindweed. You can grow that. I promise.

I still don't get why Lucas Films would pursue the idea of making spin-off movies based on known characters.
They must take too much stock from their focus groups at Disneyland.

Focus Group
Kathleen Kennedy: "What kind of Star Wars movies would you like to see?"
Jeff Spicoli: "Uh, yeah, it'd be cool if, like, Obi One Kinobi had his own movie and stuff...."

I don't see this going well for the franchise.

Every movie house in Hollywood wants to have a shared universe like Marvel.

Maybe it's just me, but I was actually hoping for a Kenobi spin off. Ewan was about the only good thing from the prequels, and I think he would continue to do a fantastic job.

So many story threads to follow from Clone Wars (like Satine) and I like the idea of a rogue Jedi running around the galaxy like a futuristic Robin Hood.

The Han Solo spin off I have assumed would suck from the beginning. Replicating Ford's Solo believably I think will be a problem.

I'm sure we'll get the Kenobi spin-off in the next few years.

Read this morning (somewhere, syfy maybe) that the movie was too "funny", had moved too far away from the script.

How did Kennedy not see that coming?

I really wish Disney would delve into the lore of the Old Republic time period. A movie about Revan and his fall from Jedi to Sith, before becoming a Grey Jedi would be awesome.

You could go even further back and make movies about Naga Sadow or Exar Kun.

Probably a good thing if we were going to get Dude Where's My Starship?

I still say the storyline of the original KOTOR is better than anything in the movies. That moment when you realize you're Revan.... holy shit.

And you know who wrote that?

The man who wrote this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-41Yc6Ouyd4...ne-trilogy.png

It'll happen and the announcement might even come this summer.

Nice, I had no idea. Makes me want to go play it.....

If I knew nothing about Star Wars, I'd think those covers were ridiculous.

There's a reason KK dumped all of the nonsense.

There's a reason you breathe air, though what that is I'll likely never know nor give two ****s about.

I didn't like the artwork even back at the time I read them years ago. Too.....cartoony. The stories were good though, imo. Might have been the first Star Wars novel I read based on the view of the bad guys. It was a cool perspective.

I'm so sad.

A 140 pound meth addict doesn't like my posts.

:deevee:

Shit, don't just single ME out for that honor.

:shake:

What a cluster****.

http://movieweb.com/han-solo-movie-a...y-ace-ventura/

:facepalm:

It's a 2003 game. Won't play on my new computers.

Yes it will

http://store.steampowered.com/app/32..._Old_Republic/

I doubt if even that would work. I have an ultra widescreen monitor. Maybe windowed mode would be okay.

Although I guess for $2.49 I could give it a shot.

May the Force be with you.

Holy ****, thank god they got the ax

it will work, just with black bars....who knows there may be a resolution hack on a kotor forum

I downloaded it, and it's actually working at full 3440 x 1440 resolution for my monitor, but the mouse is off (down and to the right) every time I need to use any sort of menu and it's making the game a real pain in the ass to play. I need to figure out of there's a way to fix that.

There probably is.

Yeah, this is a giant ****ing pain in the ass. Following tutorials for altering program files, etc. Definitely moving into an area I'm not terribly skilled at or comfortable with. All for a game I've already played through a couple of dozen times.

Perhaps I'll look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow, but for tonight, I'm punting.
:cuss:

Holy shit, this is worse than imagined. An acting coach brought in for Alden Ehrenreich...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hea...r-exit-1016619

'Star Wars' Firing Reveals a Disturbance in the Franchise

New details emerge from the set of the troubled Han Solo movie (an editor fired, a last-minute acting coach hired) as insiders debate whether problems trace to directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, or if the Disney and Lucasfilm series can accommodate divergent styles. Matters had already reached a boiling point in mid-June when Phil Lord and Chris Miller, co-directors of the still-untitled young Han Solo movie, were in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon but didn’t start shooting until 1 p.m. That day the two used only three different setups — that is, three variations on camera placement — as opposed to the 12 to 15 that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had expected, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Not only was the going slow, but the few angles that had been shot did not provide a wealth of options to use in editing the movie.

This was hardly the first time Kennedy was unhappy with how the film was progressing. And as he looked at dailies from his home in Los Angeles, Lawrence Kasdan — screenwriter, executive producer and keeper of the Stars Wars flame — also was said to be displeased. Meanwhile, Lord and Miller, the exceptionally successful team behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, were chafing, too, according to a source close to them. There were "deep fundamental philosophical differences" in filmmaking styles, this person says, and the directors felt they were being given "zero creative freedom." They also felt they were being asked to operate under "extreme scheduling constraints" and "were never given enough days for each scene from the very beginning."

Shortly after the shoot in the Millennium Falcon, on June 20, the world learned that Kennedy — with the backing of Disney studio chief Alan Horn — had taken the extraordinary step of firing Lord and Miller. Obviously, Kennedy knew this would set off a storm of publicity that no one wants or needs in any movie — especially one in the Star Wars universe, where every move is closely watched by a gigantic audience with a sense of ownership. It's rare and undesirable enough to fire any director. Firing established players like Lord and Miller, who have a fan base ready to give them the benefit of any doubt? That shocked Hollywood's most seasoned veterans.

Anxious to avoid an outright rupture, Kennedy is said to have made attempts first to support and eventually to supplant Lord and Miller to some degree, as happened with Gareth Edwards on the troubled Rogue One. In that case, screenwriter Tony Gilroy took on significant duties with the cooperation of Edwards; in this case, sources say, Kennedy attempted to cast Kasdan in that role. Unsurprisingly, Lord and Miller were less accommodating than Edwards, still a novice, had been. Lord and Miller declined to comment, as did Kennedy.
As soon as shooting got underway, insiders say, it started to become clear that Kennedy’s stated intention of hiring directors who would put their own spin on Star Wars movies had led to a mismatch. Some insiders say that while the talent of Lord and Miller is undeniable, nothing in their background prepared them for a movie of this size and scope. These sources say they relied too heavily on the improvisational style that served them so well in live-action comedy and animation but does not work on a set with hundreds of crewmembers waiting for direction.

“You have to make decisions much earlier than what they’re used to,” one of these sources say. “I don’t know if it’s because there were two of them but they were not decisive.” Production department heads began to complain. While the pair appeared to listen when told of festering problems, this person says their approach did not change. But the source close to Lord and Miller acknowledges they have always worked in an improvisational style and not just to add comedic elements. "They collaborate closely with their actors and give them creative freedom that, in their experience, brings out the actors' best performances," this person says. "Lawrence Kasdan would not allow this and demanded that every line was said word for word. To appease him and the studio, Lord and Miller would do several takes exactly as written and then shoot additional takes."

Matters were coming to a head in May as the production moved from London to the Canary Islands. Lucasfilm replaced editor Chris Dickens (Macbeth) with Oscar-winner Pietro Scalia, a veteran of Ridley Scott films including Alien: Covenant and The Martian. And, not entirely satisfied with the performance that the directors were eliciting from Rules Don't Apply star Alden Ehrenreich, Lucasfilm decided to bring in an acting coach. (Hiring a coach is not unusual; hiring one that late in production is.) Lord and Miller suggested writer-director Maggie Kiley, who worked with them on 21 Jump Street. When Kennedy felt that these measures did not get the production on track, she asked Kasdan to come to London. Kasdan is said also to have been unhappy with the limited shots and displeased that Lord and Miller were calling out lines for the actors to try from behind the monitor rather than sticking with the script that he had written in collaboration with his son. (Lord and Miller had input on the script before shooting began.) “As a writer, producer and part of Star Wars world, you get on a plane when that happens,” says a person with knowledge of the situation.

But Lord and Miller were not prepared to have Kasdan become a shadow director. With an impasse reached, Kennedy finally pulled the trigger. The next day, when the crew was told that Ron Howard would take over as director, sources say they broke into applause.

Stepping in to replace directors who have been fired is not something that many filmmakers would want to do. Probably Howard is one of the few who could and would — at least, in this particular set of circumstances. Insiders say he was concerned about how Lord and Miller would react and has been emailing with them; another source says the two have been “very supportive, very elegant.” Howard arrives in London on June 26 and shooting, which began in February and was supposed to be completed in July, will continue into the first week of September as Howard captures new material. Still, an insider says much of what Lord and Miller shot will be “very usable.” How credit will be determined is up to the Directors Guild. What will happen next for Lord and Miller isn’t clear but they are in demand and have an open berth waiting for them to direct The Flash for Warner Bros., if they chose to take it. (They had left that film for the Han Solo movie but could return.)

While Kennedy declined to comment on the episode, just a year ago, THR did a Q-and-A with her that sheds light on her thinking. Kennedy discussed her belief that within major franchises, it is possible to “take artistic license and creative risks.” She added, “If all you're doing is playing it safe — trying to make the same movie over and over again — that's when the audiences say, 'Oh, this is just a moneymaking machine.’ But if it's genuinely in service to the art form, then the franchise concept is being used in a way that's exciting.” But at the same time, Kennedy — speaking in the context of hiring young, relatively untested directors (as opposed to established filmmakers like Lord and Miller) — said these choices were “instinctual.” And she continued with a statement that seemed, perhaps presciently, to address what may have gone awry on the Han Solo movie: “One of the things I've come to realize since I've been in this position of keeping Star Wars going is that in addition to looking for somebody who can creatively have an impact, you're really looking for leadership skills. No one steps into these big movies without being able to genuinely lead the charge with hundreds of people and [handle] the relationship with the studio. That's a very difficult thing to do, and you don't know [a person can do] that until you get to spend time and watch somebody operate.”

There are some in the industry who see an emerging pattern suggesting that Kennedy’s appetite for creative license and risk-taking will have to be curbed. Josh Trank was dismissed from the second Star Wars stand-alone film before he even started based on problems with Fantastic Four; Edwards, who conceived of Rogue One as a dark war film, was shunted aside; and now this. For all the talk of hiring filmmakers with their own vision, observers say Kennedy and Disney may be learning that the franchise is defined by a particular set of parameters. “All of the films have been 'troubled,'" says a top executive at a rival studio. “J.J. [Abrams] was powerful enough to push back on an unrealistic start date [for the first movie] but that was a tug of war. The last one was reshot by Tony [Gilroy] for months and now this? This is a systemic problem.” But an insider argues that Rian Johnson (Looper) shot Star Wars: The Last Jedi, set for release in December, seamlessly, proving that the right director can execute without major interference from Lucasfilm. The search for new and interesting filmmakers will continue and for many, perhaps, the siren call of Star Wars will be impossible to resist.

On the Han Solo movie, a high-level insider says Kennedy and Disney "were hoping for a meeting of the minds [with Lord and Miller] that never came." But if had Kennedy fired them earlier, another source says, “People would say, 'Why the hell didn’t you try to work it out?’ You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

DISNEY will be shocked when the expanded SWU makes less than the MCU.

And if the Comix aspect doesn't start un-****ing itself that's going to go down as well...

It doesn't matter, as Disney has already recouped their initial $4 billion dollar purchase.

But let's not pretend that Marvel hasn't made shitty movies. Iron Man 2, Thor 2 and so on.

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Sounds like Rogue One messed up their entire view of the SWU. Rogue One IS a dark movie, in spite of Gilroy's re-shoots, and it not only is an amazing Star Wars film but was a financial triumph for Disney. It seems like this Han Solo movie was going to play on a young Solo with his swagger and "aw-shucks" confidence, leading to a light hearted movie. But with R1 fresh in everyone's minds, maybe they felt a little more serious angle needed to be taken?

That's all just speculation on my part, but I do stand by my theory that Rogue One showed KK, Lucasfilms, and Disney that there is another way to shoot a Star Wars movie; that the ESB format does appeal to a mass audience....

Nah.

Kasdan wrote a script which KK approved. Lord & Miller continued to deviate from the tone of the script to the point where it wasn't even the same script.

Kasdan lost his shit and so did KK. Lord & Miller fired. Boom.

The hiring of an acting coach isn't odd but it's odd when it's late in the filming schedule. The firing of the editor and the hiring of an Oscar winner reveals that they're trying as best they can to avoid re-shooting the entire movie but it won't be shocking if after filming ends in September, they once again, schedule reshoots in November or January.

I'll be surprised if the entire movie isn't re-shot under the direction of Ron Howard.

The "cheers" from the crew after Ron Howard was revealed as the new director is quite telling.

Also, I'll add that "Universe Building" is quite difficult.

JJ Abrams co-wrote his script with Kasdan, who wrote Empire and ROTJ, so Abrams had a leg up on that script. He also bitched enough (which I leaked way back during the filming) that he got his "way" most of the time. Being an Editor and Composer helped Abrams vision of TFA as well (although I personally disliked the story).

Any criticism of Gareth Edwards is ridiculous. KK, the Lucasfilm story team and Iger approved the script and it was shot exactly as scripted. After Iger and KK saw an edited version (sans VFX), the decision to make the film "darker" was made and Tony Gilroy, who'd worked with Gareth before, was hired to rewrite and direct, while Gareth worked with the VFX team for the final battle.

Fortunately for us fans, Lucasfilm, KK and Disney have nearly endless pockets so they're able to make corrections if the films are not up to the standard set by the OT.

Also, this process will only help KK and the story group as they move forward so that she'll be able to avoid this type of pitfall for the next standalone film.

I've been pretty skeptical of a Han Solo prequel, mostly on the grounds that portraying a young Ford/Solo incredibly difficult. While Han is definitely an irreverent rogue, he needs a role that is action oriented and high risk. Not just a platform for jokes. I can't see the departure of Lord and Miller as anything but a good thing.

What worries me most is the actor playing Solo. I'll defer to Dane in regards to the timing and use of acting coaches, but I have little hope he'll be any good.

I hope so! Do we know what the next stand alone film will be? Any chance it's Kenobi?

The only reason I have any hope that Ehrenreich will be any good at this role is he beat out 2,500 other actors, including Taron Edgerton.

Personally, I'd have rather seen Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo in a different standalone as a cameo, or with just a few minutes of screen time, then decide whether or not to move forward with a full blown movie featuring a young Han Solo.

I've been hearing Kenobi for quite a while but the last thing I heard was that they wanted to wait until the Episode IX script was completed so that they wouldn't step on his legacy or pin Trevorrow into a corner.

As far as I know, the Epi IX script is in the polishing stage with shooting to begin January (some shooting is supposed to take place this summer but I think it's more likely to be exteriors).

Everyone should be worried. I hate this guy.

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That makes too much sense to actually do.

Do they have the stones to fire Ehrenreich this late in the game? Ala, Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future

If Ron Howard comes to the realization that Ehrenreich needs to be replaced, I think they scrap the entire movie.

Spoiler that shit man. I might play it one day. :D

It's been out for 14 years, dude. :D

Pssst. Shane leaves the kid and his mother in the end.

You bastard! :cuss:

why didn't they cast this guy?

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Because he can't act?

If Disney, the biggest entertainment company in the world doesn't even give the kid a chance, then that's good enough for me.

From my understanding, he wasn't even in the top 500.

Copying someone and portraying a character is completely different.

He's acting as well as Ford did in Star Wars. :D

And damn, he looks just like him.

So they couldn't hire him an acting coach like they did for the guy they actually casted who looks more like the short bearded dude from Revenge of the Nerds?

Exactly!

He's mimicking Ford. There's a big difference between what Ford did to create a character and someone doing an impression of that character. They clearly want to capture an essence of a character instead of trying to copy Ford. Glover is nothing like Billy Dee Williams, yet I think it's a nice choice. Having someone do a Harrison Ford impression would be interesting for 5 minutes, then he better find a way to make the character his own or he's screwed.

I don't disagree.

Harrison Ford was a goof in American Graffiti and Star Wars, yet took a huge leap forward in the Force Ten from Navarone The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It was a stunning transformation.

Messier is spot on.

Hiring a look-a-like and sound-a-like is appros of nothing.

If Ehrenreich captures the essence of Han Solo, everyone will be stoked.

That's the rub.

If he doesn't, the movie fails, spectacularly.

If imitation led to a sure success, Superman Returns would be regarded as a classic.

That's true. Good points. Like Ledger capturing the essence of the Joker vs imitating Nicholson's version.

That's a bit different, as there have been multiple actors that have portrayed comic book heroes and villains.

The other difference is they clearly aren't happy with the guy they actually chose to play solo. Getting him help is admitting they may have miscast the guy, no?

Also, Ford's Solo is all there is. As far as SW fans are concerned...Ingruber wouldn't be imitating Ford...he'd simply be a young Solo...which is what we want here, correct?

I mean, I completely get what you guys are saying the "essence" of the character. It's just that apparently the guy they picked isnt cutting it

It's hard to pull off a younger version of a character like that. The one time I can think of that I thought was really good was josh Brolin doing Tommy Lee Jones in MiB3.

Ford became a great actor later. In the original Star Wars he was just north of awful. Hamill and Fisher both did much better jobs. Ironic when you consider that he's the one who went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Yeah, I don't get the "owning it" thing. Ford owns it. Anything else is not Solo.

Again, copying a guy and actually having acting chops are completely different.

Does anyone think that Donald Glover won't be able to pull off a convincing version of Lando Calrissian?

Ron Howard is the key to this film. If he can't get Ehrenreich's performance where it should be, I think they scrap the entire film. I find it highly unlikely that they go back into the casting process and essentially reshoot the film, again.

The cost would be outrageous.

That's another reason why they decided to move forward with Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.

Recasting would be a nightmare.

Maybe they can pull it off in 15 years but it's tough to do when Ford's actually still alive and working.

You think they'd scrap it? I think they'd release it, because even a bad Star Wars film is going to make a shitload of money. And as a one-off, I doubt it would have much (if any) of a negative impact on future films. It might be more damaging to admit it was crap and can it.

:shrug:

If Ron Howard comes in and says "Ehrenriech has to go", I think they scrap the film. They've already spent nearly 16 weeks filming on sound stages and on location. It doesn't appear to be a film that's heavily ensconced with blue screens and VFX, so to reshoot the entire film would be very cost prohibitive.

Unlike Rogue One, I think the general public and even huge Star Wars fans are skeptical that this film will work so if word of mouth is bad, it could be their first flop.

I for one would be very impressed if Donald Glover pulled off a convincing Lando. Billy Dee Williams' voice had a very unique cadence and tone. If Glover can't mimic Williams, I'll find it very distracting.

I think the overall problem with the concept of the film is the limited time range compared to the original. Asking Ewan to play Obi Wan 40 years younger works, (the voice sounds similar so it's a pass). Asking anyone to play a 30 year old Han Solo 10 years younger is an entirely different animal. People don't change that drastically in that small of a time frame. The only way to pull it off is with a convincing mimic.

That never works. Look no further than Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh.

While he was able to successfully ape Christopher Reeve, he was completely unconvincing in the role.

I agree that making this film, especially now, was a bad idea but hiring a Ford "mimic" would have laughable and most likely, disastrous.

Those of you worried about speech patterns and cadences... were you distracted by Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk? If the actor gets the character, any distraction will go away after a few minutes.