Editorial: I've Got A Bad Feeling About This: Lord & Miller Off Han Solo and Why The Movie Was A Bad Idea From The Start
I'll be the first to say it. I'm a Star Wars mega-fan. My love for the series started when I was three years old all the way back in good old 1977. I've been around for it all. From the special editions to the prequels to the sequels to the new anthology projects to the comics to the books. I've been loyal to Lucas. I've stuck through the Disney changeover. I've even defended the over saturation of the brand. From toys to games and clothes to the unending releases of food products and dinnerware, my adoration has been dedicated to the Star Wars saga and every little detail between.
Yet, there's one thing that's been bothering me lately. It's this idea that we need a back story for characters we've grown up with. Not everything needs explanation. Not every character needs some type of introduction or revisit. Mystery is good. Solo doesn't need a new intro. We already go that in A New Hope. Established mythology becomes second hand when modern film production houses feel the incessant need to draw an endless stream of blood from a property like Star Wars.
Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford is Han Solo. Spinning some convoluted background story for the greatest smuggler in the galaxy is not necessary and totally unneeded. This is the point at which Star Wars fans start to question the integrity of Kathleen Kennedy and the absolute over-saturation of the brand. In short, there was never any need for a Han Solo prequel/spin-off. Who really asked for it? Not me. And not anyone I know. When brought up in casual conversation, most people I know are barely even interested, which further proves my point.
Now with the team of Lord & Miller off the project and Kennedy citing 'creative differences', perhaps it's time to take a look at the reasoning behind this entire project. Yes, I know. It's all about money. But considering the already established character of Han Solo, money simply isn't enough. With the film deep in production already and the directors being removed, we all have to realize that the final project will be an absolute mess. Remember what happened with Alien 3? I've said from the beginning that this anthology film was a bad idea and would encroach on the territory of what is a classic character.
Perhaps Lord & Miller or the appointed corporate Star Wars matriarch Kathleen Kennedy are coming to the realization that this whole thing wasn't as well planned as they thought. Creative differences are nothing new to Hollywood but getting rid of directors on a film that's been shooting since February is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. From here on out, this project will be cursed due to this squabble.
-CG