****Disney provided an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****
With all of the action and fun that surrounded the Solo: A Star Wars Story press trip, there was one that stood out from the rest, another thing I never in my life thought I would be able to do (besides walking the red carpet of a Star Wars premiere… so unforgettable) was being able to interview the child star, actor all around amazing director, the icon who is Ron Howard. It seem that all Ron touches turns to gold, he really has a talent for his craft. And we were very fortunate to interview the man himself. What was the most daunting part of taking on Star Wars? How does he feel to have a movie coming out around the same time as his daughter, is there any competition? Where there any Opie Taylor questions? Well read on to find out…
Ron Howard: I think that just the responsibility of the cast, especially, Alden Ehrenreich. It’s really such a daunting challenge. I knew there would be a lot of judgement surrounding him and his performance. But he’s such a cool customer. And he wore the responsibility very well. I know it was something that really, meant a lot to him.
Q: Did you have to walk a fine line of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in creating a new version, younger version with Alden?
RH: It was all about taking inspiration from Harrison. I think, I think Alden thought a little bit about the body and that’s a sort of subtle almost subliminal link you can, you can create for the characters. When I did, for, for, for National Geographic, when we did Einstein, Genius, and Geoffrey Rush was playing the older Albert Einstein and Johnny Flynn was playing the younger. And one of the things that they did was they spent some time together to work out some physical traits and some body language choices that the younger Einstein could use that, you know, that he would then reverberate and with, with the older Einstein. I thought that was a good idea for this. Alden, of course, had already thought about it, that phrasing, those rhythms, it was there for Alden to develop.
RH: It really came, out of a conversation that I was having with Kathy Kennedy. I didn’t know that there, that there was any conflict, any creative differences going on with the project at all. I hadn’t, heard any of those rumors. I guess that they were out there, but I just wasn’t paying attention. She asked if Larry Kasden could come. She didn’t tell me why. And when I got there, John Kasden was there as well. I thought I wonder what they wanna talk about? Some other future Star Wars movie? And about halfway through, it just sort of came out that they were, they were in this crisis with, the young Han Solo movie. He said, would you ever consider coming in and taking over? And I said, it’s very flattering but I can’t imagine that I would. I urged them to reconsider and think about it. And they said, well they had already made their decision. They knew they were gonna make a change.
I read the script and I was so compelled by that script. It was really satisfying and logical. But it also had these twists and turns that were unexpected. I thought, well that’s a great jumping off place. I knew what a fantastic cast it was. And sort of over a period of about three days, like I began to weigh it and at a certain point, my wife, Cheryl, we were talking about it. And she said, I know you pretty well and I think you’re gonna be disappointed if you don’t do this. I thought she was right, as she most always is.
Q: Were there any barriers, making a Star Wars movie?
RH: There are challenges. What I did discover is that the reason that these Star Wars movies kinda resonate with us and we see them more than once, often, is because they entertain you in so many different ways. I didn’t realize that as a fan. But when I was directing the scenes, I realized that’s a real challenge. You’ve got, action elements. You’ve got sci-fi elements that are very particular to this, this galaxy. You’ve got this blend of sort of humanity and humor and drama and then these deeper bigger themes that are, you know, really relate classic themes. It’s like playing three dimensional chess to direct these scenes. When the harmonics are right, it creates this sort of range of ways that the movies entertain you. But it’s a real challenge.
Q: What do you think that little Opie Taylor would think of the Millennium Falcon landing in Mayberry?
RH: Well, I think he’d probably say, gee Pa, can I can I take a ride? (In his best Opie Taylor voice, it was adorable!)
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| Photo: www.theodysseyonline.com |
RH: Either way, we’re in a very fortunate position. This whole experience of being a part of Star Wars and this summer’s movie lineup was so unexpected. Once we realized that our movies were coming out, a month apart or something like that, it’s kinda like a gift, I suppose. You work at something that you love. I give 110% to everything that I do. Some things click, some things not as much. I love it as a lifestyle, our way of life. And, and I’ve felt very rewarded by this opportunity and I hope fans feel really good about the movie because these movies are made for the fans. And I certainly was very much in agreement with that and working for the fans in this particular instance.
Q: When Han Solo dies in The Force Awakens, how did that affect how you directed this film?
RH: I thought it was very powerful in that, in that movie. And, and it also reflected the kind of complexity, the thematic ideas that I think give the Star Wars movies their lasting value. It’s fun. It’s playful. It’s exciting. But it also has these themes that, are complicated and run deep… And, and in its own playful way, I think Solo, you know, asks some of those questions of, what’s it like in those more sort of moral gray areas?
When your, your survival is at stake and you’re presented with, with choices that you might not necessarily be proud of… and it’s not just the Han Solo character. It’s a number of characters. There, this is a story about young people who are on a quest for their freedom. And they’re struggling for that. And in very difficult oppressive times. And a really challenging corner of the galaxy. I think sort of knowing the outcome gives the story of young Han Solo even more power and more weight. And I think in many ways makes you even more curious about what make, what might have made him tick, what makes him tick.
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Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters everywhere on May 25th!
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