Solo sequel not 'a Lucasfilm priority,' says Ron Howard, but 'never say never'
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As a franchise, it looks like Solo is staying solo.
Ron Howard, who directed 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, recently threw cold Bantha milk on fans' dreams of a sequel to the Han Solo origin story.
"The only discussion that I'm aware of about a sequel for Solo is coming from the fans at this point," Howard said in a conversation with NME. "I don't think it's a Lucasfilm priority, as I understand it."
Alden Ehrenreich picked up the mantle from Harrison Ford for Howard's prequel film, which also featured Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and Emilia Clarke as Solo's love interest, Qi'ra. EW's review at the time praised Glover's performance but described the film overall as a competent placeholder, "a wafer-thin palate cleanser before the next big course."
Jonathan Olley/ Lucasfilm Ltd.
In the wake of Solo's release, rumors swirled about a possible Lando spinoff based on comments from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, which were then walked back by Lucasfilm.
Glover himself said in 2018 that he'd be up for a solo—but not necessarily Solo—outing.
"It would always be fun to be Lando again," Glover said during a Solo: A Star Wars Story Town Hall. "The movie, I feel like, is wide open. This part of the universe without the… I feel like with the Skywalkers, it's hard, because it's almost like the Bible. There's a story that you have to tell, and the lineage of that family. I feel like out here it's like, yeah, we're just like husters and gamblers and space pirates, essentially, so you can do a lot more and have a lot more fun."
Solo struggled at the box office, bringing in $36 million over opening weekend, far short of its projected $130 million to $150 million draw. In contrast, 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story raked in $155 million during its 2016 debut weekend. Solo eventually grossed $393.2 million worldwide.
Still, Howard isn't giving up hope, telling NME, "The folks from Lucasfilm love the fans and really do listen, so I would never say never. But I'm not aware of any concrete plans right now to extend the story or deal with that particular set of characters."
Disney+'s Rogue One prequel series Andor has been a critical hit for the streamer, with a second season already in the works.
A rep for Lucasfilm did not immediately return EW's request for comment.
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