Lucasfilm Unsatisfied With Alden Ehrenreich’s Performance as Han Solo

The studio brought in an acting coach for the lead star prior to dismissing directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, according to report

As the Han Solo “Star Wars” movie prepares to move forward under new director Ron Howard, a report has surfaced that says Lucasfilm was not only displeased with the progress being made by recently fired filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, but also by the performance by the project’s leading man, Alden Ehrenreich.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm decided to hire an acting coach well into the film’s production in order to get a performance the studio felt Lord and Miller were not getting out of the actor.

The late-stage hire was part of a series of replacements and additions made by Lucasfilm to try and improve production, including replacing the project’s editor, Chris Dickens, with longtime Ridley Scott collaborator Pietro Scalia.

But despite these changes, the directors were reportedly still unable to reconcile their improvisational style which they had used on prior films, like “21 Jump Street,” with the scale and demands of making a “Star Wars” movie. This proved especially true when they reached a creative impasse with the film’s writer, Lawrence Kasdan, who demanded Lord and Miller stick to the script. When it was clear a compromise could not be reached, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy made the decision to replace the directors. Representatives for Ehrenreich did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.

While Ron Howard prepares to complete filming as production resumes on July 10, questions remain to whether Lord and Miller will retain director credit on the film. Entertainment lawyer Bryan Sullivan told TheWrap last week that Lucasfilm “is obligated to give them credits, but it’s a question about how much work has been done.”

Lawyers also told TheWrap that unless a financial agreement had been made between Lucasfilm and the directors at the time of the split — something that may have happened given the joint statement announcing Lord and Miller’s departure — there may be negotiations ahead over how much Miller and Lord are owed for performance bonuses.

The “Star Wars” Han Solo film is still slated for release on May 25, 2018.

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