<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $275 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $384.6 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Solo: A Star Wars Story, or simply Solo, is a 2018 American space Western film based on the Star Wars character Han Solo . Directed by Ron Howard, it was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the second Star Wars anthology film following 2016's Rogue One . The plot takes place over ten years prior to the events of A New Hope, and explores the early adventures of Han Solo and Chewbacca, as the pair are involved in a heist within the criminal underworld and meet a young Lando Calrissian . The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, alongside Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller - Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany . </P> <P> George Lucas began development on the film in 2012 . He commissioned Lawrence Kasdan to write the screenplay, which was completed by his son Jonathan after Kasdan was hired to write Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Principal photography began in January 2017 at Pinewood Studios, under the direction of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller . The pair left the project in June 2017 after reportedly being fired over "creative differences" with Lucasfilm, and Howard took over directing duties . With an estimated production budget of around $275 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made . Having grossed $384 million worldwide, it is considered the first Star Wars film to be deemed a box office bomb, with estimated losses for Disney of up to $80 million; it will need to gross at least $500 million to break even . </P>

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