Lord And Miller Exit The Han Solo Movie
Let me just say that I am not the least bit surprised that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have dropped out of Disney’s impending Han Solo stand-alone feature (link) citing “creative differences.” (Ahem!) Again, NOT the least bit surprised. In fact, I was one of the few voices on what will remain an unnamed website who questioned what achievement of theirs that got them cast onto the project in the first place. Lego-lovers (Lord and Miller are responsible for The Lego Movie) bashed me endlessly, proclaiming that their singular comic vision would make for the most innovative if not downright hilarious Star Wars movie ever, and that’s when I knew I was better off arguing with sand.
See, franchise pictures – like it or not – have to incorporate what I’ve always called “narrative sameness.” In other words, while any big property might have several separate entries within their cinematic mythology – each if not every one of them helmed by different directors – all of the films are still expected to fit within the overall aesthetic expected by the owners (not necessarily the producers as some roles blend within differing corporate structures).
It wasn’t all that long ago that the revered Edgar Wright was cast with the responsibility of bringing Marvel’s Ant-Man to the silver screen, and the Marvel fans were out on the web in full force claiming that his “singular comic vision would make for the most innovative if not downright hilarious Marvel movie ever.” (Sound familiar?) At that time, I remarked that I suspected Wright would have some “technical difficulties” in adapting his particular style of Marvel and Walt Disney’s wishes, and (naturally) I was poopooed endlessly for not knowing anything about the business and warned that I’d do better sticking to picking out the curtains in my parent’s basement. (Snarks can be so vicious sometimes.)
Like back then, I say this not to impugn anyone’s character, certainly not the likes of Wright, Lord, or Miller. I think that they’re all talented individuals, and while I may not have found some or even all of their films to be to my liking I’d never argue that they aren’t good products … and that’s the key word: “product.”
Disney expects a certain product. Lucasfilm expects a certain product. That’s part and parcel of their identity: they supply products to the marketplace with their logo somewhere on them.
If Wright wasn’t about to deliver an Ant-Man film that shared a certain amount of “narrative sameness” with the other Marvel events, then that was cause for concern. Similarly, if Lord and Miller weren’t going to deliver a Star Wars film that … I suspect you get the point by now.
Incidentally, the same thing may’ve happened with Gareth Edwards time on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you recall, that picture made headlines when it was revealed that it would be undergoing (heavy) “reshoots” in order to fill in some holes in the story. While reshoots are not uncommon certainly with a picture on the scale of any of the Star Wars films, the internet abounds with theories about Rogue One’s original storyline and ending as even footage from the authorized theatrical trailers and set photos clearly highlight events and developments that didn’t take place in the completed motion picture. In fact, you can Google the subject, and there are some very, very interesting theories about what may’ve happened to certain characters based on the analysis of some clever pundits. While we’ll probably never know for sure, it still makes for some interesting reading.
Don’t take any of this as an “I told you so” moment from yours truly as that’s rarely if ever my point. All I’ve saying is that I’m far from surprised that these two have stepped aside (even though I’ve read they were heartily pushed out the door as was Josh Trank and his possible Boba Fett standalone project). I’ll wish them well, and I’ll keep my eyes open for what THEIR version of a Han Solo picture may’ve looked like.
See, franchise pictures – like it or not – have to incorporate what I’ve always called “narrative sameness.” In other words, while any big property might have several separate entries within their cinematic mythology – each if not every one of them helmed by different directors – all of the films are still expected to fit within the overall aesthetic expected by the owners (not necessarily the producers as some roles blend within differing corporate structures).
It wasn’t all that long ago that the revered Edgar Wright was cast with the responsibility of bringing Marvel’s Ant-Man to the silver screen, and the Marvel fans were out on the web in full force claiming that his “singular comic vision would make for the most innovative if not downright hilarious Marvel movie ever.” (Sound familiar?) At that time, I remarked that I suspected Wright would have some “technical difficulties” in adapting his particular style of Marvel and Walt Disney’s wishes, and (naturally) I was poopooed endlessly for not knowing anything about the business and warned that I’d do better sticking to picking out the curtains in my parent’s basement. (Snarks can be so vicious sometimes.)
Like back then, I say this not to impugn anyone’s character, certainly not the likes of Wright, Lord, or Miller. I think that they’re all talented individuals, and while I may not have found some or even all of their films to be to my liking I’d never argue that they aren’t good products … and that’s the key word: “product.”
Disney expects a certain product. Lucasfilm expects a certain product. That’s part and parcel of their identity: they supply products to the marketplace with their logo somewhere on them.
If Wright wasn’t about to deliver an Ant-Man film that shared a certain amount of “narrative sameness” with the other Marvel events, then that was cause for concern. Similarly, if Lord and Miller weren’t going to deliver a Star Wars film that … I suspect you get the point by now.
Incidentally, the same thing may’ve happened with Gareth Edwards time on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you recall, that picture made headlines when it was revealed that it would be undergoing (heavy) “reshoots” in order to fill in some holes in the story. While reshoots are not uncommon certainly with a picture on the scale of any of the Star Wars films, the internet abounds with theories about Rogue One’s original storyline and ending as even footage from the authorized theatrical trailers and set photos clearly highlight events and developments that didn’t take place in the completed motion picture. In fact, you can Google the subject, and there are some very, very interesting theories about what may’ve happened to certain characters based on the analysis of some clever pundits. While we’ll probably never know for sure, it still makes for some interesting reading.
Don’t take any of this as an “I told you so” moment from yours truly as that’s rarely if ever my point. All I’ve saying is that I’m far from surprised that these two have stepped aside (even though I’ve read they were heartily pushed out the door as was Josh Trank and his possible Boba Fett standalone project). I’ll wish them well, and I’ll keep my eyes open for what THEIR version of a Han Solo picture may’ve looked like.
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