Solo: A Star Wars Story feels like a stepping stone to Episode IX in a way that Rogue One didn’t, and the title certainly doesn’t help.
Well, a leak purporting to show T-shirts from the production of the next Star Wars spinoff was right, even if it didn’t get the font absolutely correct. With a tip of the hat to Entertainment Weekly, it’s now official: Ron Howard has finished principal photography on Solo: A Star Wars Story.
So, yay? The feeling is supposed to be excitement, right?
The director himself certainly excited, what with the “I’ll see you next year at the end”:
Hey #Twitterville we just wrapped production so here's a special message #StarWars pic.twitter.com/8QJqN5BGxr
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) October 17, 2017
Okay, okay, we’ll admit: Chewbacca handing him the title card is pretty cute (if also slightly expected; Han as a character would consider himself way too suave to do it himself, and Chewbacca’s more instantly recognizable because of the fur).
Maybe the fate of the Star Wars spinoffs is to have the boring titles so that Lucasfilm can focus all of its creative energies into stirring up the fandom with the main series titles. Even Rogue One sounded cooler than this.
Alas, we all know that we’re likely to go see this movie anyway. What better titles were there? Han Solo: A Star Wars Story? We’re Sorry Harrison Ford Is Too Old to Star in This Movie: A Star Wars Story?
That second one might be a touch too long, but it feels like it about sums up the general pulse of the fandom when it comes to Alden Ehrenreich. At this point, if the Obi-Wan movie doesn’t have Ewan McGregor, woe betide the mentions of anyone even tangentially related to Star Wars.
Next: Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Some secrets remain secrets
At this point, Solo just seems more and more like a way to pass the waiting time for Episode IX with at least some new cinematic screen material.