Is the Star Wars spin-off film lost in space?

While many Star Wars fans have been focusing on the upcoming Star Wars 8: The Last Jedi, another film in the franchise has run into problems.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of the unnamed Han Solo prequel, have left midway through production, according to a statement on the Star Wars website.

The duo behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie have been shooting the spin-off since January and the film is scheduled for a May 2018 release.

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Variety reports that the announcement came after "months of conflict" with producer Kathleen Kennedy and the film's co-writer Lawrence Kasdan.

It adds that the two "irreverent" directors were reportedly "stunned" they were not being granted the creative freedom they expected and chafed at Kennedy’s tight control on the set.

"It was a culture clash from day one," a source told Variety. "She didn't even like the way they folded their socks."

Fans are worried there is a disturbance in the force.

Some wondered whether the Han Solo film was a good idea in the first place.

However, others will take heart at the rumours that Ron Howard has been tipped to take over the troubled production, which stars Alden Ehrenreich as a younger version of the space hero, originally played by Harrison Ford, and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian.

William Hughes on the AV Club says that now the HanSolo film needs a new director, everyone is trying to figure out who it’ll be.

Kasdan has been put forward as a potential replacement while Howard's name is "being quietly bandied around".

Hughes adds that the director's career has been a bit quiet lately and "it's not like he doesn't know his way around a big-budget, space-based production".

While it's too soon to know, "don't be utterly shocked if Howard's the one who's eventually tapped to get the Han Solo film".

Fans may also be encouraged by the fate of the previous Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

While many were concerned when producers Disney ordered reshoots shortly before its release last December, the film went on to become a global megahit.