not too long ago, we were given a taste of the consequences when huge franchises try to do something new. star wars: the last jedi tore the star wars fandom right down the middle. some longtime fans didn't appreciate what rian johnson brought to the franchise, while others loved that the last jedi kept them guessing at every turn. one thing was clear, however -- the star wars franchise is being taken in a new direction, and nobody involved was afraid of veering away from more familiar characterizations. with all of that in mind, we have to ask -- do fans have a reason to be wary of solo: a star wars story?
after months of anticipation, the first trailer was recently released, giving fans a lot to chew on while we wait for may to arrive. the teaser opens with a couple of shots from an exciting chase sequence before showcasing the interior of an apparently brand new millennium falcon. we're given the framework of the film, which is han's backstory, including the infamous kessel run he boasted about in star wars: a new hope. the new faces may take a little getting used to, but all in all, the trailer teases us with something potentially awesome.
related: solo: a star wars story teaser may reveal first look at kessel run
the first film in the star wars anthology series, rogue one (directed by gareth edwards), proved that a new atmosphere and new faces joining a beloved franchise's history wasn't necessarily too great of a risk, which bodes well for the new entry in the spin-off series. from the action sequences to the music booming through the trailer, it's clear that we're about to see something different in solo: a star wars story. but even though the blend of new and old worked wonderfully in rogue one, as we now know, it may not always sit well with the franchise's passionate fandom, particularly those who are still reeling from the unruly debates surrounding rian johnson's the last jedi.
why was the last jedi so divisive? you'll hear many fans cite rian johnson's style of humor as one cause. while some felt johnson had done a great thing by introducing more comedy into the star wars universe, others felt it was out of place and unsettling. then there was the film's depiction of luke skywalker, who seemingly lost all the hope his character had maintained and fought for in the original trilogy. johnson tried to take the old and keep it from going stale, but this approach left some fans confused, disappointed or even outright angry.
so far, it seems as though there is no intention to cause yet another shift in the franchise with solo: a star wars story. in fact, the desire not to turn star wars mythology on its head impacted the film's production, with original directors phil lord and christopher miller being replaced late in production by ron howard.
solo's trailer offers us a look at the atmosphere of the film, which is noticeably dark. that's not a bad thing -- in fact, its one aspect that should please longtime fans. it's completely in keeping with the tone of the original film, which blended all kinds of humor with a consistently dark undertone. hopefully, this will allay the fears people had after hearing about the film's issues with directors.
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perhaps the largest issue the film is facing is rumors of star alden ehrenreich's inability to act to the satisfaction of the studio. according to several sources, ehrenreich required acting and dialect coaches on site during filming. that's not as unusual as it sounds, but it's not a good sign when you realize it's accompanied by rumors that the film's star can't act, and that the coaches were hired late into production as an emergency maneuver.
circling back to the directorial issues, it's also worth recalling that phil lord and christopher miller, known for comedies like cloudy with a chance of meatballs and the jump street films, were reportedly fired by the studio over "creative differences." lord and miller later stated that they had little to no creative control over the picture. they wanted to make solo more of a comedy, while kathleen kennedy and writer lawrence kasdan were adamant that it remain faithful to the tone of the films that preceded it.
the change in directors from lord and miller to ron howard brought with it new problems. a lot of reshoots were required. a lot. in fact rumors circulated that howard effectively reshot the entire film which explains why we don't the trailer doesn't really feature comedic elements that might seem more familiar to fans of lord and miller. it also explains why paul bettany was brought in to replace michael k. williams, since the latter was unable to return to set for the reshoots.
these issues may explain the hesitation with regard to the film's marketing, or lack thereof. until the night of the super bowl, there was virtually no marketing of the film at all. then, a short spot was finally released before a full teaser trailer debuted the following monday morning. with the release of the film only a couple of months away, the lack of marketing suggests that even the studio doesn't have faith in this film.
related: is it time to worry about the han solo movie?
obviously, the trailer isn't going to shed light on the flaws of the film, but even so, it's somewhat encouraging that none of the issues appear to be reflected in it. as we said, the tone of the trailer is in keeping with the rest of the franchise (the last jedi excluded, of course) and while it may still be too early to really judge, the few glimpses we get of his performance in the teaser indicated that alden ehrenreich is actually passable as a young han solo. passable, but not perfect; though he's got some of the mannerisms down, and at certain angles he could arguably pass for a younger harrison ford, unfortunately it just feels like there's something missing in his performance.
but, as we said, it's too early to really judge. we're not here to criticize a film that isn't even out. we're just trying to figure out whether or not this is film worth getting excited about. the issues the studio encountered may have been completely dealt with, but right now, they're each an indication that perhaps the end product won't fully capture the magic that drew fans to the character and the franchise in the first place. in the end, it may be best if longtime fans approach the film with caution. don't write it off as a guaranteed failure, just don't set your expectations too high.
directed by ron howard, solo: a star wars story is in theatres may 25th and stars aldren ehrenreich as han solo, donald glover as lando calrissian, thandie newton as val, joonas suotamo as chewbacca, emilia clarke as qi’ra and woody harrelson as tobias beckett.