Following this week’s shocking news that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller had been fired from Disney’s currently-in-production Han Solo movie, the picture has moved swiftly to announce its new director.

After rumours yesterday suggested as much, Ron Howard is the person given the nod to jump straight on to the film and jet off to a galaxy far, far away.

In an official announcement, Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy said, “At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard till step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”

Yesterday saw A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code and Apollo 13‘s Howard rumoured to be the frontrunner to replace Lord and Miller, and that’s now proven to be the case. Lawrence Kasdan, who has penned the script for the Solo movie and has been involved with the franchise since The Empire Strikes Back, was another name suggested to direct, although DNA regulations may have ultimately put a halt to any chance of that happening.

Still to be titled, this Han-driven movie will look at how Solo became the loveable scoundrel who we were all first introduced to in Mos Eisley back in 1977. On board as the young scruffy-looking nerf-herder is Alden Ehrenreich, with Donald Glover playing Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson as a mentor figure called Beckett, The Force Awakens’ Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and unknown roles for Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Michael K. Williams, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

At present, the film is still booked in for a May 25th, 2018 release.