Star Wars: 10 Directors Who Could Fix Han Solo

Han Solo needs a steady hand.

James Gunn Han Solo
Marvel Studios / Disney

Lucasfilm broke the Internet with the announcement that acclaimed Jump Street and The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have been fired from the upcoming Han Solo spin-off movie mid-production.

It's an extremely bizarre set of circumstances, for the directors to have "creative differences" with producer Kathleen Kennedy so late into filming, and for them to be so significant that Kennedy is now seeking a replacement director.

Though it definitely casts doubt on the quality of the project moving forward, it's certainly not beyond saving, especially if Kennedy picks the right filmmaker for the job.

Looking back at Hollywood's more recent blockbuster success stories, Kennedy will certainly have her pick of filmmakers who will jump at the chance to direct even half of a Star Wars movie, but she'll have to choose carefully to ensure the right match-up of filmmaker and material.

These 10 directors have certainly done enough to prove themselves viable candidates, though as fickle as Hollywood is, it's anyone's game until a formal announcement is finally made...

10. Justin Lin

justin lin Fast and Furious Premiere
Ian West/PA Archive

Why He Could Fix It: Justin Lin has considerable experience working on big-budget, effects-heavy action films, having helmed four of the Fast and the Furious movies, not to mention the recent Star Trek Beyond.

Lin may not be the most widely-acclaimed of filmmakers, but he's extremely confident at what he does, and most of his blockbuster efforts have touted a mix of comedy and action that probably won't be entirely dissimilar from the tone of Han Solo.

How Likely Is It?: The fact that J.J. Abrams personally picked Lin to direct Star Trek Beyond is very encouraging, considering Abrams' work on The Force Awakens, and though he has a lot of announced projects in the pipeline, there's nothing concrete that would seem to take up the next 12 months.

He's probably best thought of as a long-list candidate, a reliable back-up if other, better choices fall through. 5/10

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