Solo: A Star Wars Story has already broken one franchise record ahead of theatrical release, surpassing 2015’s The Force Awakens as the most expensive film in the series.
According to Variety, Solo‘s production budget clocks in north of $250 million, largely due to reshoots following the replacement of original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller by Ron Howard.
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By comparison, The Force Awakens cost a reported $245 million to produce, followed by 2016’s Rogue One and 2017’s The Last Jedi, estimated in the $200 million to $219 million range. The original Star Wars, released in 1977, cost $11 million to produce. Even adjusted for inflation, that puts the production budget at about $45 million, less than one-fifth of Solo‘s price tag.
Variety notes that while Howard was expected to reshoot 85 percent of Solo, the final figure ended up at 70 percent, earning him the sole director credit. The extensive reshoots led to the principal photography schedule being extended by a full four months. With the production time effectively doubled, actor Michael K. Williams was forced to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, with his character recast with Paul Bettany.
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Opening Friday nationwide, director Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra, and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. They’re joined by Thandie Newton as Val, Phoebe Waller-Bridge L3-37, Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos and Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett.