The news that Ron Howard would be taking over directing duties for the young Han Solo movie echoed throughout the film industry like a thunderclap. But in the hands of somebody as steady and professional as Howard, Disney and Lucasfilm are sure to get exactly what they want. Howard has been working in Hollywood since he was a child on The Andy Griffith Show, but to the current generation he’s either the voice of the narrator on Arrested Development or a blockbuster director who frequently works with A-list actors like Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, and Michael Keaton. He’s directed big-budget action films, access-heavy documentaries, and historical dramas about space travel and political intrigue. Howard may not have an immediately identifiable visual style, but he’s a reliable jack-of-all-trades—just the kind of filmmaker a big studio would want to take over a production in the middle of shooting.