Ron Howard is the front-runner to replace Phil Lord and Chris Miller as the director of the currently untitled Young Han Solo film

Deadline is reporting that Ron Howard is the front-runner to replace Phil Lord and Chris Miller as the director of the currently untitled Young Han Solo film! The report also claims the film’s co-writer Lawrence Kasdan (who also worked on “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Return of the Jedi”, “The Force Awakens” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) could potentially step into the directors chair. In related news, Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter has taken to social media to reveal “Jumanji” director Joe Johnston is also in contention to replace Lord and Miller. The duo behind “21/22 Jump Street” and “The LEGO Movie” were fired from the Young Han Solo film after conflicting with LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan.

All involved parties believed the creative differences could be worked out and both the filmmakers and the studio would find common ground on a film they were both satisfied with - however Lord and Miller were fired after five months of shooting due conflicting visions for the project. The Young Han Solo film, which stars Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thandie Newton, Ian Kenny and Michael K. Williams, is written by Lawrence and Joe Kasdan and is currently slated for a May 25th, 2018 release (which LucasFilm says will stay the same despite Lord and Miller's departure). "The movie will explore the duo [Han and Chewie]’s adventures before the events of ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, including their early encounters with that other card-playing rogue from a galaxy far, far away, Lando Calrissian.” Of these three directors (Ron Howard, Lawrence Kasdan and Joe Johnston), who would you like to see replace Phil Lord and Chris Miller as the director of the Young Han Solo film in the midst of production? Let me know in the comments!#RonHoward #LawrenceKasdan #JoeJohnston #StarWars #HanSolo #AldenEhrenreich #DonaldGlover #LandoCalrissian #EmiliaClarke #WoodyHarrelson #PhoebeWallerBridge #ThandieNewton #IanKenny #MichaelKWilliams #PhilLord #ChrisMiller #Chewbacca #PeterMayhew #MillenniumFalcon #YoungHanSolo #JoeKasdan #BillyDeeWilliams #Lando #ChewieWereHome #TheEmpireStrikesBack #ReturnoftheJedi #TheForceAwakens #LucasFilm #Disney