Filmmaker Ron Howard must have a pretty high midichlorian count as he's had some major movie making success. Backdraft, Cocoon, Apollo 13, Willow, A Beautiful Mind, Ransom, The Cinderella Man, Frost / Nixon.
It's a long list*.
And now the Star Wars Han Solo movie can be added to it.
Yes, that's right, now that Lord and Miller have been dumped from the gig of a life time (like how do you screw that up?) Ron Howard is now to see out the rest of the production.
It's a shrewd, shrewd movie by Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy because in many ways Howard is one with the Force and the Force is one with him.
How so?
Guess where Ron Howard got his silver screen big break? A little movie called American Graffiti. A movie directed of course by George Lucas himself.
As he became a director, Howard helmed Lucasfilm's production of Willow. This movie is of course the fantasy adventure film that starred everyone's favourite Star Wars Ewok, Warwick Davis! (Incidentally Davis has yet another Star Wars cameo in the Han Solo movie). This partnership with Lucas clearly meant a life long bond was formed.
Legend has it that George Lucas once offered Ron the chance to direct the first Star Wars prequel, The Phantom Menace.
Ron won an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind. That's a key signal of quality right there. Who better to come in an fix an ailing film project other than a seasoned pro who has a real and genuine connection to Star Wars?
* We can forgive him for The Da Vinci Code though right?