'Project Hail Mary' Confirms That We Needed To See Lord and Miller's Han Solo Prequel

5 days ago 7

Ryan Gosling as Rylance Grace in Project Hail Mary

Published Mar 21, 2026, 1:09 PM EDT

Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.

Directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller just created a sci-fi epic with aliens, interstellar adventure, action, and suspense. And no, it's not Star Wars; it's the new sci-fi masterpiece, Project Hail Mary. Along with a dynamite script by Drew Goddard, who once again adapts a critically acclaimed novel by Andy Weir, Lord and Miller craft an amazing outer-space-themed adventure. Interestingly, at one point in their careers, Lord and Miller were attached to direct another outer space adventure, Solo: A Star Wars Story, for Disney and Lucasfilm. However, they were unceremoniously ousted from the project back in 2017 over "different creative visions." Regardless, Project Hail Mary's exceptional quality proves once and for all that Disney and Lucasfilm should have seen their vision through for Solo.

'Project Hail Mary' Nails the 'Star Wars' Style

Throughout Project Hail Mary, multiple moments provoke an unavoidable thought: "If Project Hail Mary was this good, how awesome would Lord and Miller's Solo movie have turned out?" Take, for example, the movie's amazing relationship between Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and his alien friend, an Eridian engineer and explorer whom Grace names Rocky (James Ortiz). They develop a deep, unbreakable bond and friendship over the course of the movie, much like how Solo forges the iconic duo of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

As interesting as it was to see the beginning of Han and Chewie's relationship in Solo, their bond lacked the punch and believability that the other films so easily depict with Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew's iconic performances as the characters in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Project Hail Mary depicts that type of unique bond in spades, and it absolutely sings throughout the film. Solo did not feature any relationships that made the viewers care as much about the fates of the characters as Grace and Rocky. Their relationship evokes the deep, indelible bonds characters share in classic Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, and Lucasfilm movies of the 1970s and ‘80s.

Additionally, the sequence where Grace goes on a death-defying spacewalk and faces certain peril possesses a style that's reminiscent of watching Star Wars. The action scenes exude amazing narrative depth, verve, and imagination, similar to classic Star Wars movies. From watching Project Hail Mary alone, Lord and Miller are creative visionaries who would have elevated Solo with that same sense of awe and imagination that is routinely on display throughout Project Hail Mary.

Lord and Miller's Dismissal From 'Solo' Still Feels Confusing and Lacks Clarity

Publicly, former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said Lucasfilm had a "different creative vision" from Lord and Miller, while Lord and Miller stated that their "vision and process weren't aligned" with their partners. A June 2017 report from Variety claimed that the directors came into conflict with Kennedy and the project's co-writer and executive producer, Lawrence Kasdan, over attempting to infuse the movie with their "tongue-in-cheek" sensibility. Variety's report continues to note that Lord and Miller were not happy with Kennedy's tight control over the movie and were not being given the creative freedom they were typically accustomed to on set. It goes on to state that Lord and Miller did not voluntarily leave their posts, but they were, in actuality, "fired" by the studio.

According to a June 2017 report from The Hollywood Reporter, Lord and Miller's "comedic sensibility and improvisational style" incited a conflict between the directors and Kasdan, a veteran writer and filmmaker, who favored "a strict adherence to the written word – what is on the page is what must be shot." The two parties also reportedly clashed over "differences in understanding of the character of Han Solo."

Speaking of Lord and Miller's movies' "tongue-in-cheek" humor, is that a bad thing? All their movies, including the Spider-Verse movies, which they did not direct, have tongue-in-cheek humor, and Project Hail Mary has humor and jokes as well. They do not hurt or take away from the experience, but enhance it. Not to mention, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor aligns perfectly with the Han Solo character. To this day, despite all the rumors, there's a significant lack of clarity over what Lord and Miller were doing with the movie that incited their firing.

The Final Product for 'Solo' Felt Subpar and Workmanlike

Obviously, the conditions concerning how Ron Howard came aboard Solo: A Star Wars Story were not ideal. He joined the production midway through and basically re-shot over half the movie, but the theatrical version turned out less than desirable. Obviously, Solo has its fans and supporters, and that's fine, but there’s something decidedly lacking about the final product. Some parts of the movie truly soar, such as the riveting Kessel Run sequence, where Han Solo and his allies must pilot the Millennium Falcon through the Akkadese Maelstrom.

However, the movie looks bland, muddy, and badly lit. When Chewbacca first appears, viewers can barely even see the iconic Wookiee. Various subplots and characters were barely developed. Not to mention, the movie cut out key sequences that would've been amazing to see onscreen, such as a cameo by iconic Star Wars characters Tag and Bink, and there was more to the battle sequence on Mimban. For example, in the final cut, the sequence does not even show who the Imperials are fighting in the Mimban Campaign. It results in Solo appearing as a choppy, underwhelming, and disjointed experience.

If Lord and Miller had completed their movie, it’s hard to believe it would have had such problems. As an outer space epic, Project Hail Mary is structurally sound, beautifully shot, and narratively cohesive. It looks far more vibrant, imaginative, and exciting than the final cut of Solo. Rather than fire them from the production, Lucasfilm, Lord and Miller, should have come together and reached a compromise that everyone could support. Ultimately, Lord and Miller's work in Project Hail Mary proves they were likely right all along.

Project Hail Mary is now playing in theaters.