Solo: A Star Wars Story Cannes Film Festival]].]] "Solo: A Star Wars Story" had its world premiere on May 10, 2018 at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in Los Angeles, and also screened on May 15, 2018 at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The film debuted in selected countries on May 23 and had its US release on May 25, 2018, the 41st anniversary of the release of the original "Star Wars" film (later renamed "A New Hope" to distinguish the film from the series), in which [[Harrison Ford]] first appeared as Han Solo. A "sneak peek" TV spot was released during [[Super Bowl LII]] on
Solo: A Star Wars Story [[Joe Johnston]] and Kasdan were also considered, though [[Directors Guild of America]] rules state that a replacement for a director may not be someone already involved in the production. Two days later, it was announced that Howard would take over directing for the remaining three-and-a-half weeks of scheduled principal photography as well as the scheduled five weeks of reshoots. Howard wrote, "I'm beyond grateful to add my voice to the "Star Wars" universe... I hope to honor the great work already done and help deliver on the promise of a Han Solo film." Howard was expected to arrive in London