It seems that the untitled Han Solo movie is only plating up disappointment for fans this year. Following the shocking firing of original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were then underwhelmingly replaced by Ron Howard looking to steer the project to, frankly, a less original and interesting place, more bad news has arrived for Star Wars fans.
Michael K. Williams, whose character was sparse on plot details but was expected to play a half-human, half-animal hybrid, has been cut from the film as a result of Howard’s reshoots. Williams found out he had to leave the project after discovering that the new production schedule was in direct conflict with his commitment to another film: spy drama The Red Sea Diving Resort.
Williams stated: “When Ron Howard got hired to finish out the film, there were some reshoot issues that needed to be done in regards to my character, in order for it to match the new direction which the producers wanted Ron to carry the film in.
And that would have required me on a plane a month ago to London to do reshoots. But I’m here, on location in Africa. It’s scheduling. I’m not going to be back on the market until the end of November […] and for them to wait that long for me, that would have pushed back the release date, which I believe is in May 2018. They wanted me now; I couldn’t go. So they had to clip-clip-clip”.
It’s another blow for a film that somehow is already rubbing fans the wrong way and it’s still close to a year away from coming out. Williams did go on to add:
“We created a kick-ass character, in my opinion. I’m proud of it. I don’t think that me not being in the Star Wars family is final. I left with a very good taste in my mouth about the whole family, and I hope that I left a good taste in their mouth. They’re a great group of people, the Lucas family”.
Hopefully losing Williams doesn’t hurt the film too much, but it’s hard not to get the feeling that a lot of the creative, interesting ideas and characters that Lord & Miller helped created are being stripped from the film in favour of a more easily consumable product designed not to alienate any fans. What will alienate them more though, is a lousy film.
The film is still on track for its May 25, 2018 release date, barring any setbacks.
#Peace.Love.HanSolo
