Bryce Dallas Howard has said that she included an Easter egg in a recent episode of The Mandalorian as a tribute to her father.
Howard, who directed the latest episode of the Disney+ Star Wars spin-off, is the daughter of Ron Howard, the Happy Days actor and director known for films including The Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
One eagle-eyed fan noticed the reference to one of her father’s best-loved films during the episode (entitled “Chapter 11: The Heiress”) and pointed it out on social media.
The scene in question sees the Razor Crest, the spacecraft belonging to Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), nearly burn up as it blasts through a planet’s atmosphere.
The viewer posted a clip of the scene side-by-side with a similar moment in the 1995 space blockbuster Apollo 13, which was directed by Ron Howard.
“Like father, like daughter,” they wrote on Twitter. “@BryceDHoward, don’t think I didn’t catch that awesome homage paid to your dad!
“Considering that Apollo 13 is my favourite-favourite movie, I caught it right away! I know I can’t be the only one who geeked over this!”
Howard has since responded to the Tweet, saying that the theory was “100 per cent correct”.
The actor and filmmaker also directed an episode in the first season of The Mandalorian. Other filmmakers to have taken part in the show include Jon Favreau, Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed.
The Mandalorian can be streamed on Disney+, with new episodes arriving every Friday.
