When you're dealing with a blockbuster as large as SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, it would probably be foolish to expect everything to go exactly according to plan, but, the upcoming STAR WARS spin-off has had to deal with more than its share of setbacks, including losing directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with mere weeks of filming to go. Ron Howard stepped in to complete the film, but he wound up working on SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY for four months and reportedly ended up reshooting 80% of the movie.
Thandie Newton, who plays an undisclosed role in the film, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about just how much of the movie was reshot and how she felt when Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were let go.
Apart from the initial shock and feeling bad for [Lord and Miller] not being able to finish their work, their work is everywhere in it. Ninety percent of my stuff is with them. And it certainly wasn’t about, "Oh we have to start again and do it all over."
Thandie Newton added that although Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's departure was a surprise, she now views SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY as an amazing collaboration between three directors.
I love Phil and Chris — everybody loves Phil and Chris — they’re so brilliant. Ron and the guys were talking to each other. As far as I’m concerned what’s on screen, in the end, is going to be an amazing collaboration. It’s a massive piece. We see so often now there are two directors working on pictures. We already had two with Phil and Chris. Now there’s three. With a project like that where it’s a vision that’s been created over so many years, that’s so expansive, I think it’s less about things going wrong than getting more help to bring it into the best position it can be in. I really like Ron though, he’s very sweet. And [the film is] dope; it’s so cool! And it’s such a great cast with Phoebe [Waller-Bridge], [Alden] Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody [Harrelson] and, of course, you know the wonderful Game of Thrones angel, Emilia [Clarke].
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY is set for a May 25, 2018 release.