Apparently, it can happen to anyone even Disney! In a surprising turn of events, the directors of the Han Solo Star Wars Anthology Film have stepped down, even though the movie has been filming for some time. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of the successful Jump Street movies and The Lego Batman Movie, cited creative differences as their reason for leaving.

In response, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy released the following statement:

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it's become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we've decided to part ways. A new director will be announced soon (The Hollywood Reporter).

The directors added:

Unfortunately, our vision and process weren't aligned with our partners’ on this project. We normally aren't fans of the phrase “creative differences”, but for once this cliché is true. We are really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew.

While it’s surprising that the directors have quit so far into the film’s production, the studio already has a couple of new directors in mind. They’re looking at the legendary Ron Howard (the frontrunner), Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi), and Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger).

After the statements were released, various outlets (Variety and THR) said that the directors were fired because Kathleen Kennedy and Lawrence Kasdan didn't approve of Lord and Miller’s style as directors. Apparently, the production’s comedic and improvisational tone has been a bone of contention from Day One.

The Han Solo Star Wars Anthology Film is slated for a May 25, 2018 release.