Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard has spoken out about the possible debilitating effect Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi may have had on the young Han Solo standalone.
Videos by ComicBook.com
I’m proud of #SoloAStarWarsStory and the cast & crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition. As a director I feel badly when people who I believe (& exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie… don’t see it on a big screen w/great sound. https://t.co/KADHwqU8so
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) June 10, 2018
“I’m proud of #SoloAStarWarsStory and the cast & crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition,” Howard wrote on Twitter Sunday. “As a director I feel badly when people who I believe (& exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie… don’t see it on a big screen [with] great sound.”
Howard’s tweet came in response to a tweet opining about the weak box office performance of Solo, laying blame on last December’s divisive The Last Jedi.
“I’ve been reading so many theories as to why ‘Solo’ hasn’t been doing so well at the box office,” @kfairbanks2 tweeted. “Sad to say, some [Star Wars] fans are snubbing Solo [because] they’re still upset over Last Jedi. If so, they’re missing out & punishing a good film for something not its fault.”
Howard also retweeted — without comment — a tweet from @CalvinGregory70 that read:
“I know a lot of people are still upset about the Last Jedi. But this movie is separate with a great group of people. I judged [Solo] solely on what THIS movie had to offer. I was greatly impressed and had a lot of fun. Everyone should ignore the negativity & see it [for] yourself.”
I know a lot of people are still upset about the Last Jedi. But this movie is separate with a great group of people. I judged this movie solely on what THIS movie had to offer. I was greatly impressed and had a lot of fun. Everyone should ignore the negativity & see it 4 yourself
— Calvin Gregory (@CalvinGregory70) June 10, 2018
Howard famously relieved Phil Lord and Chris Miller of directing duties on Solo when the duo were fired by Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy last summer.
Shortly after Solo debuted to less than expected numbers over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a subset of Star Wars fans said Solo was suffering for The Last Jedi‘s sins, laying blame on the controversial eighth installment of the episodic saga for negatively affecting the box office performance of the prequel centered around an early adventure of a younger Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich).
Solo has an A- CinemaScore, compared to The Last Jedi‘s A CinemaScore. On Rotten Tomatoes, Solo has a 65% “liked it” audience score with a 3.5/5 average rating after 32,957 votes.
The Last Jedi has just a 46% “liked it” audience score with an average rating of 2.9/5 after 195,804 votes — giving The Last Jedi the lowest audience score of any live-action Star Wars movie.
Slide 1
I will not go see Solo because i consider that The Last Jedi was a terribly awful movie that destroyed Star Wars and broken the fandom and i also think @rianjohnson did it on purpose. I do not believe in russian bots or massive trolls but i believe in numbers and facts.
— W1ng Ch6n (@CitiZEn_K_One_6) June 10, 2018
The Last Jedi was horrible – the actors we’re great, it is not their fault. Treatment of Luke Skywalker character, set design, etc. But mainly the story. Should have had Ron Howard redo that one too before releasing it. Would not have this problem with Solo, and the franchise.
— Mandy Kilpatrick (@MandyKilpatric4) June 10, 2018
Slide 2
I definitely stayed away from Solo because of the awful Last Jedi. Waited until the third week to see it. Honestly wasn’t going to see it in the theater at all but was bored on a Friday.
— Lono (@LonoSG) June 10, 2018
Nah. I watched The Last Jedi and didn’t research multiple times and I’m not watching Solo at all because of TLJ.
— John Yoo (@oniontaker) June 9, 2018
Not gonna attack anyone over it. Haven’t really complained much online. Just don’t get it twisted – I’m taking a break from Star Wars after 20 years because of TLJ. pic.twitter.com/c175oXN5qE
Slide 3
#starwars #disney Just so you know Disney, after Rian Johnson screwed up with the Last Jedi, people probably aren’t thrilled to see anything else by him @StarWars related. Just a thought, after the Solo debacle…
— Hipnotik (@JohnnieMayhem) June 10, 2018
It is sad that Solo is suffering because of the Last Jedi but what did Lucasfilm expect after giving Ruin Johnson free reign. JJ closed the lid with TFA (why you would not have orginal actors in at least one scene is beyond me) and Johnson hammered all the nails in with TLJ.
— Gary Harwood (@harwood_gary) June 10, 2018
Slide 4
#SoloAStarWarsStory
— Richard (@Richard44419805) June 10, 2018
Solo was a great movie. The whole cast did an excellent job. Ron Howard made a true Star Wars movie. It’s a shame so many people had a bad feeling about this after the disaster of the Last Jedi. Ron, as Han would say, it’s not my fault.
TLJ exhausted the many fans’ remaining goodwill, and dissatisfaction/contempt for it was visited upon Solo which was released too soon and in the summer to boot.
— Sam Osborne (@samkirbyosborne) June 4, 2018
Slide 5
The Last Jedi left a bad taste in my mouth, but Solo: A Star Wars Story was wayyyy better than I anticipated it to be.
— Jordan ? (@Jordan_Bassist) June 10, 2018
The Last Jedi made less than The Force Awakens. Solo should be doing much better than it is, think par with a Rogue One (another great side story). Really, really enjoyed Solo (despite not enjoying Last Jedi much at all).
— Abe (@HAUSofABE) June 10, 2018
Slide 6
solo flopped for largely 2 reasons. 1st cause alot more people disliked the last jedi than what was previously called “a small minority” and 2nd cause they ended the Han Solo arc in The Force Awakens, aka they killed him off
— stephen lylyk (@LylykStephen) June 10, 2018
I genuinely feel bad for Solo A Star Wars Story.
— Nation (@I_IsNation) June 10, 2018
It’s not a great film by any means, hell it’s hardly “good”.
But this has taken the brunt of the damage caused by The Last Jedi and will undoubtedly suffer more in place of Episode 9.
Slide 7
I hear great things about #solo and it makes me feel slightly better, but frankly I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut by the last Jedi and I don’t want to go back to it yet.
— Traveling Steve (@Steve_traveling) June 10, 2018
some of y’all: hated SOLO because it was unnecessary and it served lucasfilm right after the disappointment of the last jedi ? #BoycottSolo
— carol îmwe has finals (@carxlinv) June 8, 2018
me: the moment han and chewie meet is peak cinema
Slide 8
Always remember. The last jedi defenders not made the toys sell and the movie a huge hit. They also not made solo a huge hit. But we made the toys tank and the movie flop. Maybe disney should think about if they wanna make money or bad headlines. #lastjediawful #firerianjohnson
— Dan Solo (@Hollywood_Solo) June 8, 2018
You have every right to be proud Ron, I saw it twice, and it was a wonderful movie. You had the misfortune to direct the first movie released after The Last Jedi, but I believe Solo will stand the test of time and ranked in the upper echelon of Star Wars films by the fans.
— VonDarkmoor (@VonDarkmoor) June 10, 2018
Slide 9
I really hope Solo doesn’t let me down. I can’t take another Star Wars fail after how bad the Last Jedi was.
— John Baker Ⓥ (@jackieedge207) June 10, 2018
The awesome thing about #solo was that no character was wasted or pointless. None of the characters we already knew abandoned their core beliefs or personality. The movie actually made f**king sense. It fit in the universe of Star Wars. It was everything The Last Jedi wasn’t.
— T (@Hazardousduke) June 10, 2018
Slide 10
The Last Jedi was dire and killed my own interest in anything further from the Skywalker story. But Solo was excellent… should be judged on its own merit. Great film and very well made. More please
— Harold Melmacian (@h_melmacian) June 10, 2018
Don’t let The Last Jedi stop you from seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story, @RealRonHoward has made a great movie and deserves so much praise!
— Michael McAnaulty (@mmcanaulty) June 10, 2018
Related Posts
-
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) -
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
