Award-winning actress Bryce Dallas Howard has caused quite a stir in the pop culture scene. Througho her various movie performances, from Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3 to Victoria in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Howard has developed an on-screen presence for herself. As such, it was exciting for fans when she was announced to take over the role of Kate Connor from Claire Danes in Terminator: Salvation back in 2008. Indeed, critics praised her emotional relationship with the rest of the cast. Additionally, critical responses were in favor of her work in Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter alongside co-star Matt Damon. Her true claim to fame, however, was her depiction of Hilly Holbrook in The Help. The adaptation of the novel was an enormous push that continued to expedite the rate of Howard’s already-growing success. The daughter of Hollywood icon Ron Howard, she went on to heighten her popularity after joining the Jurassic Park spin-off saga, the Jurassic World trilogy. Other recent projects tie Howard back to the Elton John biopic Rocketman, and her debut into the documentary filmmaking world, Dads.
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The Star Wars universe has been shrouded in great prestige after it established itself as a changemaker for science fiction. Its esteemed prosperity and evergreen eminence over not only the genre, but the infatuation with the franchise from a cultural point of view, was unshakable. It became an instant milestone for those in the industry who were looking to stamp their resume with a credit bound to dazzle and impress. Star Wars became incredibly comfortable with its status as a groundbreaking series for the motion picture industry. As the franchise became a nearly-inescapable entity in popular culture, the saga required an expansion of itself on a more creative front. Innovative filmmakers were needed to illustrate cutting-edge themes that would impede the peace of a galaxy far, far away. Recent Star Wars projects following the Prequels era have underlined the interpretations, outlooks, and perceptions of a visionary director who orchestrates each chapter of the series. Howard’s directorial efforts in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have collected all-around commendation. So much so that fans have pushed for Howard to direct a Star Wars movie. The question is: how did she become a leading director in the Star Wars franchise?
How Bryce Dallas Howard First Joined the Star Wars Franchise
Disney
Without Solo: Star Wars Story, Howard may not have wound up behind the camera for Lucasfilm. She has mentioned that, after shadowing her father on the set of his Han Solo prequel film, she was inspired to secure a place in Star Wars for herself. Her insatiable eagerness to simply be present on set encouraged her to seek out a place for herself in the series. “I had just finished Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. We were shooting in Pinewood [Studios], which is the same location where my dad was. And I went to him and said, ‘Please, can I shadow you on Solo? I feel unbelievably lucky and privileged for all the access that I have had in my life, but I’m asking right now for more. Please, please, please can I shadow you on Solo?’” Howard said during the interview with Vanity Fair.
Howard admitted that she wasn’t completely sure as to what the following steps were that assisted her in earning the title of director for numerous Disney+ Star Wars episodes. “I’ll never really know,” she said. “I think my name got put on a list." She also mentioned that her inclusion into the series was founded on an email sent to her from Jon Favreau, who was eager to discuss an undisclosed project with her. “We got on the phone, and he talked through Star Wars and George, and what was incredibly meaningful about Star Wars and storytelling and sharing these really beautiful, inspiring sentiments.” Her excitement swelled when she was officially offered a directorial position, and she was unsure if Favreau had even screened any of her previous work as a director prior to their conversation. Favreau’s instinct of hiring Howard to helm a handful of episodes proved that his intuition was guiding him to make a decision that was in the best interest of Lucasfilms’ Disney+ exclusives. “…and then he said, ‘I’ve written a series, and I’d love for you to take a look at it. You can come in and I’ll show you all the artwork and stuff, and we can talk about it and you can see if you’d be interested. And so then I read the pilot, and when it got to Baby Yoda, I was just like, What am I reading?!” Howard said.
Why Star Wars Needs Directors Passionate About the Franchise
Star Wars has made it extremely clear that it is abstract yet grounded. The material pulled from the world around it is such a necessary ingredient to contributing to the franchise’s success that whoever dares take it on for itself must possess an even greater understanding. New ideas introduced by driven artists elevate the significance of the saga. There must be a tireless need to grow what Star Wars is capable of — a spark that cannot be found in every single filmmaker. Directors who have left the most outstanding impacts on Star Wars are able to internalize the screenplay and intrinsically know Star Wars and its endless mythos. It is obligatory that they understand the immense planetary systems and their interlinking socio-political environments. Howard’s enthusiasm for The Mandalorian gives way to her appreciation for the universe and the brand it was founded upon. Her already-present interest in Star Wars spoke to her passion for the franchise.
Past directors have been able to find an outlet that would bring their visionary plans for Star Wars to life. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi incorporated uncomfortable and fresh narrative concepts that the franchise was desperately in need of. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett’s rotating director circuit found balance in diversity. Each episode was accented with a personal flair while being able to strike the middle ground of uniformity. Howard offered insight as to the goals she aimed to accomplish while in partnership with Star Wars and its original series. “Good story, well told. My role is to be of service to George’s vision, to Jon’s vision. You want to infuse life into every moment, especially with Star Wars. The more real it feels, the better it feels, but in a galaxy far, far away. That’s part of the wish-fulfillment of it,” she said to Vanity Fair.
Bryce Dallas Howard’s Star Wars Future
Following her guest-directing credits in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, there has been a greater interest in welcoming Howard back to the franchise. Howard’s future plans for Star Wars remain undisclosed, though she shares hopes of finding her way back to the franchise soon. Howard’s work has proven that she has the ability to supplement what the franchise is in need of. Her keen eye and sharp attention paid to the most intricate details of the story unfolding on-screen have warranted her as a rightful candidate to direct future Star Wars movies. Her previous contributions to the Star Wars lore have demonstrated Howard’s insight as a director who is determined to tend to the elaborate details of the un. In the same interview that was published by Vanity Fair, Howard opened up about her approach to directing distinguished Star Wars series episodes. “When I’m directing — and a lot of directors are like this — it becomes a highly physical endeavor,” she says, laughing. “I love that, as an actor, when you feel the director behind the camera — when you can feel them be in that next moment, and you’re with them.”
Howard was previously asked about the possibility of accepting a directing role for a Star Wars film, per Gizmodo: “Oh, my goodness,” she said during the Jurassic World Dominion press tour to a journalist from i09. “I think it would take someone asking me.” An undisclosed or concrete answer does not completely rule out the possibility of her future with Star Wars and Lucasfilm. Because of the high volume of Star Wars media currently in development, Howard’s addition could be possible, but wouldn’t arrive on big screens soon. “Well, you know, I absolutely love directing. And I hope to be able to direct many, many features in my future. That would be absolutely wonderful,” Howard said in an interview with Den of Geek.
