—
Food helped change the new “Star Wars” film, Variety reported.
In the summer of last year, over breakfast, Ron Howard, the eventual director of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” met with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in a planned meal. Howard wanted to run things by Kennedy about his Imagine Entertainment business, besides eating later that day with another “Solo” producer, the late Allison Shearmur, as he was working on something with her, Variety‘s Kristopher Tapley wrote.
Howard didn’t know that the movie had problems, which is why former directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired, Variety reported.
In fact, Howard had hung around Lord and Miller’s “Solo” set, meaning that he came across several folks that then worked under him when he took over the film, Tapley wrote.
With Kennedy at the breakfast were “Solo” screenwriters Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan. Yet, none of the three made comments about the issues until Howard asked “How’s it going?”, Variety reported.
Then Howard was told the secret: Lord and Miller, who Kennedy hired, were going to be fired, Tapley wrote.
Kennedy even was organizing names to replace them and inquired of Howard if he would take on the project, Variety reported.
“’It’s flattering, but those guys are great, and I just can’t imagine coming in and doing that,’” Howard replied, according to Tapley. “’I wasn’t trying to be talked into it. I just really felt that way.’”
Kennedy and the Kasdans continued to work on him by letting him read the script. Intrigued by it, he talked about taking on the project with (partner Brian) Grazer, his agent, Risa Gertner, and his wife, Cheryl, Variety reported.
Cheryl convinced Howard in saying that he would ask what-if were he to let it go, Tapley wrote.
Harrison Ford and ‘Solo’
Ford agreed to meet with Alden Ehrenreich, the star of “Solo,” as Ehrenreich was determining how to play the character, Variety reported
Ehrenreich wanted to learn as much as possible as soon as possible so that he could move from the particulars and act on what felt best to him, as opposed to relying on impersonating Ford’s portrayal of the character, Tapley wrote.
Ford has seen the movie twice—he loved it, Variety reported.
Ford even called Howard and raved about the film upon his first viewing, Tapley wrote.
“’I had never heard Harrison effusive about anything, and he was raving about it,’” Howard told Variety. “’He said, ‘Alden nailed it. He made it his own.’’”
—
◊♦◊
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
Have you contributed before and have a Submittable account? Use our Quick Submit link here:
◊♦◊
Do you have previously published work that you would like to syndicate on The Good Men Project? Click here:
◊♦◊
Got Writer’s Block?
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
♦◊♦
We are a participatory media company. Join us.
Participate with the rest of the world, with the things you write and the things you say, and help co-create the world you want to live in.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
Photo credit: Getty Images
