Adam Driver nearly made a Star Wars comeback, this time with director Steven Soderbergh by his side.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed that he and Soderbergh had spent two years developing a Star Wars standalone titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. The film would have explored Kylo Ren’s (aka Ben Solo’s) search for redemption following the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Driver shared. “Kathleen [Kennedy] had reached out, and I always said, ‘With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second.’ I loved that character and loved playing him.”
Soderbergh worked out the story with Logan Lucky writer Rebecca Blunt, with Scott Z Burns later joining to pen the script. According to Driver, the project was “handmade and character-driven,” taking inspiration from the emotional depth of The Empire Strikes Back. “That film is the standard of what a Star Wars movie should be,” he said.
Driver and Soderbergh presented their pitch, developed under the title The Hunt for Ben Solo, to Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Cary Beck. The team reportedly loved the concept. However, Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman didn’t give it the green light.
“We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea,” Driver recalled. “They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it. We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”
While Lucasfilm declined to comment, Soderbergh later reflected on the experience with his usual wit. “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head,” he said. “I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”
Driver, who portrayed Kylo Ren across The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), called the unmade project “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.”
