We’ve been pretty vocal on the site — especially on Los Fanboys — that revisiting Han Solo in his earlier years is probably a bad idea. They years they’re likely to visit in the upcoming film are years that were mentioned briefly in the original trilogy and in The Force Awakens, and as such, there is something of a mystique to it all. When all said and done, it’s likely that whatever you have pictured in your head right now is more interesting than any of the filmmakers can possibly bring to the big screen. Regardless, whether we like it or not, a Han Solo movie is happening, and if we can’t stop it, at the very least we can rest easy knowing that they’ve got some great talent on board.

To pen the script they had Lawrence Kasdan — probably the best screenwriter in the Star Wars universe thus far — and his son, Jon Kasdan. Set to direct the film they have Phil Lord and Chris Miller, two guys who are best known for jumping on board THE LEGO MOVIE and 21 Jump Street — projects that should have been garbage, but were somehow elevated to greatness by those two. Who’s to say, they don’t do the same for Han Solo?

Speaking with Collider, Bradford Young, cinematographer on such films as Selma and Arrival — discussed working with the two directors, and how much they bring to aproject in terms of sheer vision.

“It’s funny, here’s the thing about Phil Lord and Chris Miller: don’t let their track record fool you. Don’t put those guys in a box because they have a vision, they know exactly what they want. They have no hidden agenda, but they do have an agenda; they have a way of seeing that’s very special, and their collaboration is genuinely unique. So I have to say I had to get converted into that. I respect their work, I respect them as filmmakers, but I wasn’t quite sure if there would be a good marriage between what I’m trying to pursue and the work that I’m doing and what they’re doing, but they helped make that real clear to me early on by expressing some real interesting story [and] photographic ideas that really resonated with me. So once they started really pulling me into that world, I realized how much these cats have come from the same pedagogy of filmmaking—in the visual sense for sure, and definitely from an approach in terms of how we want to make movies, they come from the same school.

“These cats are subversive, don’t let it fool you (laughs). They are prepared to say exactly what they wanna say and it’s complex, it’s layered, it’s smart, it’s visual, it’s dramatic, it’s funny, it’s uneasy, it’s unexpected. These cats are—I’m honored to have them in the list of directors I’ve worked with, that’s for sure.”

That’s certainly some high praise from someone who’s worked with some of the best. Directors like Ava DuVernay and Denis Villenueve — who helmed the aforementioned Selma and Arrival, respectively — are some of the greatest in the business today. As such, to hear Young talk so highly of Lord and Miller is a huge deal, and speaks to his confidence in what they plan on doing for the movie.

Like how Lord and Miller did with their other films, we may end up with something very different from what we’d normally expect.

“We’re doing our own thing, that’s why we’re there. Phil and Chris are there to bring what they bring to their films, their very unique vision, their perspective on story and they asked me to come bring what I bring, and so just for that it won’t feel like any of the other films. And nobody at Lucasfilm is asking us to betray that, they’re saying ‘We’re in full support of what you do and we wanna make sure that we’re able to help you do it in the best way.’ It’s gonna feel like a Star Wars film, but we’re definitely gonna break some rules, and we’re encouraged to do that. Visually, narratively that’s a good mandate. They really are about, from what I’ve seen so far, supporting up and coming artists, artists who have a strong vision and voice and perspective, and they really wanna permeate the films with those kinds of voices. So it’s interesting, very interesting. Not what I thought it would be, that’s for sure. I’m pleasantly encouraged and pleasantly surprised.”

So will the Han Solo movie feel like a Star Wars film? Yes. But it seems like we’ll need to brace ourselves for this movie to bring its own unique sensibilities to the universe. While I still lament the fact that Disney and Lucasfilm can’t seem to expand outside the established world, I do respect their choice to hire these two. If we’re lucky, the pair will end up expanding things in a way none of us can expect, so while it may stay confined within the known narrative, it can still push boundaries in different ways, which is something that will be needed in order to preserve this franchise’s longevity.

What do you think of Young’s comments? Do they change your thoughts on the upcoming Han Solo film? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments down below!

The untitled Han Solo movie is set to hit theaters on May 25, 2018.

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitterfollowers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCE: Collider