Kathleen Kennedy admits a Han Solo movie may not have been the right idea

Kathleen Kennedy rethinks Solo

Kathleen Kennedy has led Lucasfilm through years of new Star Wars movies and shows. As she prepares to hand control to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, she spoke with Deadline about her time running the franchise.

She says she does not really have regrets about most of her decisions at Lucasfilm. The only project she calls out is Solo: A Star Wars Story, which she now describes as an idea they pushed into theaters too soon.

How Solo fit into Disney’s plan

Solo: A Star Wars Story arrived in 2018 as a spinoff after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One had a similar budget and earned over a billion.

Solo was planned as an origin story for Han Solo after Harrison Ford returned in The Force Awakens and later appeared in The Rise of Skywalker. Kennedy says she brought Larry Kasdan in to write it and that they were excited about developing the idea.

Too soon after Han’s return

Kennedy notes that Solo: A Star Wars Story was released three years after Harrison Ford returned as Han Solo in The Force Awakens. Ford then appeared one final time in The Rise of Skywalker before the prequel.

Another article points out that Solo also followed not long after Han died in The Force Awakens. It argues that the origin story might have had a better chance if Lucasfilm had waited longer before revisiting the character.

The crowded 2018 release window

One analysis stresses how close Solo: A Star Wars Story landed to other Star Wars films. The Last Jedi was released in December 2017, and Solo arrived five months later in May 2018 instead of the usual December slot.

The same article notes that Solo opened while Avengers: Infinity War dominated theaters. Combined with Disney’s plan to release a Star Wars film every year, that schedule is a factor that hurt its box office.

A costly flop that froze plans

Reports put Solo: A Star Wars Story’s budget at around $275M. The movie earned $393M, becoming one of Lucasfilm’s biggest commercial failures and the first Star Wars film that did not recoup costs.

Rogue One, with a similar budget, earned over a billion. Articles explain that Solo’s weak box office froze plans for more standalone films and created the gap before The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Alden Ehrenreich’s impossible task

Kennedy praises Alden Ehrenreich’s work in Solo: A Star Wars Story, saying he was good and is a wonderful actor. She also says Lucasfilm put him in an impossible situation by asking him to play a character tied to Harrison Ford.

She explains that once they were in production, she realized you cannot replace Han Solo right now. Kennedy now describes Solo as a movie they attempted too soon and links her regret to that decision.

Kennedy defends the filmmaking

Even as she names Solo: A Star Wars Story as a regret, Kennedy is careful about what she blames. She says she does not have regrets about the moviemaking and filmmaking, and that her concern lies with the concept and timing instead.

Another article connects that view to Solo’s troubled production. It recalls that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were hired to direct, were let go during shooting, and Ron Howard stepped in to finish it.

A release strategy under fire

One analysis says Kennedy is wrong about why Solo: A Star Wars Story failed. It argues that blaming audiences for not being ready for a new Han Solo misses the point and that Disney’s release schedule was the problem.

According to that article, Disney planned to release a Skywalker Saga film every two years. In between, the studio wanted anthology movies like Rogue One and Solo, creating a pattern of Star Wars films every year.

Lessons from earlier prequels

Solo: A Star Wars Story’s behind-the-scenes problems as a factor in its failure. The opinion piece recalls that the film changed directors mid-production, moving from Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Ron Howard.

The same article describes Solo’s marketing as terrible and says the buzz stayed negative before release. It lists bad promotion, the director swap, competition, and burnout as reasons the spinoff did not connect with audiences.

Production drama and weak marketing

One opinion piece highlights Solo: A Star Wars Story’s rocky production as a major factor in its failure. It points out that the movie went through a mid-production director swap, moving from Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Ron Howard.

The same article describes Solo’s marketing as terrible and says the buzz stayed negative before release. It lists bad promotion, the director swap, competition, and burnout as reasons the spinoff did not connect with audiences.

Kennedy’s view of Star Wars fans

Kathleen Kennedy admits that, as president of Lucasfilm, not everyone loved everything released. She says some Star Wars fans want the same thing and that these groups can be vocal when they dislike a direction.

She still says she is behind every project but one. Solo: A Star Wars Story is the only title she now describes as a regret, and she links that feeling to its timing and the choice to recast Han.

Her wider legacy at Lucasfilm

Kennedy’s time leading Lucasfilm was tumultuous, and she says calling it that would be an understatement. She came on board as Disney acquired Star Wars from George Lucas and was tasked with relaunching the franchise.

Over 13 years, she and her team rolled out the Star Wars sequel trilogy and a flow of projects. Under her watch, Lucasfilm also spearheaded Disney+ content with The Mandalorian in 2020 and later wrapped Andor in 2025.

Curious who’s steering Star Wars after Kathleen Kennedy? See who’s taking over next.

What comes next for the galaxy

As Kennedy steps back, big shake-ups are happening at Lucasfilm. She tells Deadline that projects from Taika Waititi and Donald Glover’s long-discussed Lando spinoff are still somewhat alive, but says the new team will decide.

Those successors are longtime Star Wars writer and director Dave Filoni and executive Lynwen Brennan. Another article hopes Star Wars can revisit characters introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story, even after the film’s disappointing box office.

Hearing talk about Kathleen Kennedy leaving Lucasfilm in 2025? Dive into the full story.

What do you think about Kennedy admitting that a Han Solo movie may not have been the right idea? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

Don’t forget to follow us for more exclusive content right here on MSN.

Read More From This Brand:

• Star Wars leadership and long-term plans under Kathleen Kennedy
• Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – A New Era
• 16 underrated characters from ‘Star Wars’