Overview

• Kathleen Kennedy approached Howard during a 2017 breakfast in Paris to replace Phil Lord and Christopher Miller after Lucasfilm identified a tonal disconnect.
• Howard agreed to extensive reshoots and says Lord and Miller were “incredibly gracious” during the handover.
• He completed Solo on an accelerated eight-month schedule, significantly shorter than the typical three-year Star Wars production timeline.
• George Lucas advised Howard to remember that Solo was meant “for 12-year-old boys,” reinforcing the film’s target audience focus.
• Solo grossed about $392–393 million on a $275 million budget, and its disappointing box-office performance led to the cancellation of planned sequels and spin-offs.