Well that didn’t take long!  Shortly (a day) after the announcement that Lord and Miller were leaving the Han Solo production, Lucasfilm has announced a new director to helm the project.  That new director is Ron Howard!

You may know him best as Opie Taylor off of the Andy Griffith Show, or as Richie Cunningham in Happy Days, however he has had one fine career as a director.  Notable movies under his belt include Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind (winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director), The Da Vinci Code, and of course Willow!

Lucasfilm is pleased to announce that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard has been named director of the untitled Han Solo film.

“At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “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. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”

Of course the biggest question surrounding this announcement should be, what sort of cameo will Clint Howard have in this film.

Filming on the unfinished project will resume on July 10 with more confirmation that it will retain its May 25, 2018 release date.

On a side note, who wants to bet this film gets moved back to December 2018?