Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard addresses low box office numbers

'I’m proud of Solo and the cast and crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition'

To many analysts’ surprise, Solo: A Star Wars Story has been a box office disappointment for Disney.

Director Ron Howard – who came on board after original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller departed ways with the project – has since addressed the low audience turn out on Twitter.

“I’m proud of Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Howard wrote on Twitter, ”and the cast and crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition.

“As a director I feel badly when people who I believe (and exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie... don’t see it on a big screen with great sound.”

The director was responding to a fan on the social media service, who initially wrote: “I’ve been reading so many theories as to why Solo has not been doing so well at the box office – sad to say, some Star Wars fans are snubbing Solo because they’re still upset over The Last Jedi. If so, they’re missing out & punishing a good film for something not its fault.”

Solo has grossed over $300 million at the global box office, but, thanks to a ballooning budget, will likely lose Disney around $50 million. The movie now faces stiff competition at UK cinemas from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which has received similar middling-to-positive reviews.