5 directors who could take over the Han Solo standalone movie

2. J.J. Abrams

Director JJ Abrams attends the Hulu Upfront Brunch at La Sirena Ristorante in New York, NY, on May 3, 2017. (Photo by Anthony Behar)

I know Lucasfilm’s policy on standalone films is to assign directors to them who are either up-and-coming or who haven’t been established in Hollywood for a long time. J.J. Abrams is neither up-and-coming nor a fresh face to cinema. However, he is a no-brainer to take over the Han Solo movie for one big reason: he worked with Lawrence Kasdan and Kathleen Kennedy before, and they liked his results. Abrams, of course, directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Having worked with them before, he should know and respect Lawrence and Kennedy’s creative vision, which was reportedly the source of Lucasfilm’s contention with Miller and Lord.

Abrams is the safe choice for piloting the downed ship that is currently the Han Solo movie into smooth space for another big reason: he already has experience directing Harrison Ford, the original Han Solo actor, in the role. Therefore, he probably has a better understanding of how the character works than Miller and Lord, who have never directed a Star Wars film before much less Ford in his iconic role. If Abrams is put on the Han Solo project, you can be sure it will be a solid film.