With the second removal of director(s) from a Star Wars film this year, it appears as though things aren’t quite so happy behind the scenes as fans would like. The trepidation that comes from and addition to a franchise.

Going back years, the first directorial issue occurred during the first spinoff: Rogue One. Tony Gilroy was brought in to supplement Gareth Edwards by directing additional scenes in a film that was going through extensive reshoots. Now, this may have just seemed like perhaps Edwards’ realised vision was not quite right and merely needed tweaking. However, the pattern that has formed since, with regards to studio interference, suggests that there is a very tight creative reign held over them by Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm/Disney executives, indicating directors are perhaps being allowed to have less of vision and control if it does not match up with the exactions required.

The first outright firing came back in May, in the form of Phil Lord and Chris Miller being fired from the Han Solo origin film with only several weeks left of shooting. This wasn’t the first sign of trouble surrounding the film; an editor had already been fired and an acting coach brought in for Alden Ehrenreich – neither being signs that everything was running smoothly. The noted reason of ‘creative differences’, which usually seems to be used as a generic cover (even insinuated in Lord and Miller’s statement), seems apparently true here. From the not-solid but believable rumours surrounding the situation, it seems as though Lord and Miller’s comedic and improvisational style did not fit with Lawrence Kasdan’s desire for strict adherence to the script or the desired tone for the project as a whole. This genuine difference in vision seems to apparently have led to a lot of restrictions on Lord and Miller’s creative choices, seemingly in an attempt to mould it to the studio’s taste rather than creative vision. After an initial statement in the announcement of new films that the hiring of visionary and different directors would be part of the new idea, it seems as though the effect of the tightness of the studio’s control over the directors was not considered. It also seems strange that these issues seem to have only been dealt with with only a few weeks left of shooting, when Lord and Miller’s style is obvious from their previous works, and must have been over the extensive development period. In their replacement, Ron Howard is a trustworthy pair of hands, but with such a last minute switch, the likelihood of the film becoming a messy mash of two visions seems uncomfortably high, and considering the trepidation that already surrounded this film about such a well-loved character, fans can only hope that somehow this can be rescued. Perhaps this proves Solo shouldn’t have been touched as such a specific tone seems to be required to appease fans of the character, and this situation has only served to expose and prove the risky nature of what Lucasfilm is trying to accomplish.

The second, and most recent, directorial firing was that of Colin Trevorrow from Episode IX. After the critical mauling of Trevorrow’s most recent film, The Book of Henry, earlier this year, doubts arose around his ability to carry of the Star Wars finale. Having been hired post-Jurassic World, he seemed like good choice, having just proven that he can bring a new installment to an old, much-loved franchise in a way that was successful both critically and commercially. However, perhaps as time has gone on, this faith too has faded, and the veil of childhood excitement lifted from Jurassic World. It was a film that thrived on nostalgia and the brilliance of the concept (taken from the original). It was not a bad film by any means, but perhaps not all that special, and built upon a legacy without which it would have not been held in such high esteem. Of the public information it seems to be a lack of faith in ability that led to Trevorrow’s departure, although, of course, we don’t have the full story.

Perhaps there is an inherent struggle behind the scenes of Star Wars to maintain a continuity through the series with so many directors (across so many films now, with spinoffs as well as the main episodes). Maybe a tight reign is necessary to create cohesion, and ensure the stability of the franchise, or perhaps there just isn’t space for an auteur’s vision within a franchise. It could just be even more important on these films than others (due to their legacy) that visions align exactly, and any disagreements weren’t clear initially.

These developments seem to suggest Star Wars to be struggling behind the scenes. Hopefully this isn’t the case, but this flurry of films (spinoffs etc.) may increase the risks to the extent that they could dilute the much-loved franchise. However, of course, all opinions must be held off until we see the films themselves.