Adam Driver recently opened up about a Star Wars project he and director Steven Soderbergh developed, centered on his iconic character, Kylo Ren, that ultimately never came to fruition. In an interview with the Associated Press, Driver revealed the film, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, was pitched to Disney but turned down despite enthusiastic feedback from Lucasfilm.
A Character-Driven Star Wars Story
The project would have taken place after The Rise of Skywalker, exploring Ben Solo’s journey toward redemptionfollowing the events of the final trilogy. The initial concept was created by Soderbergh and Logan Lucky writer Rebecca Blunt, with Scott Z. Burns later joining to develop the full script.
Driver expressed his excitement about the project:
“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars. I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen [Kennedy] had reached out. 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.’”
He emphasized that The Hunt for Ben Solo was meant to feel “handmade and character-driven,” taking inspiration from the emotional depth of The Empire Strikes Back, which he called the standard for Star Wars storytelling.
Pitching the Film
The duo pitched the script to Lucasfilm executives Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Cary Beck, who were reportedly supportive of the concept. The project then reached Disney leaders Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, but the response was ultimately negative:
“They said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” Driver explained.
Soderbergh later reflected on the experience, admitting he enjoyed the process of imagining the movie, though he was disappointed that fans would never get to see it. Driver also praised the script, calling it “one of the coolest scripts I had ever been a part of.”
Kylo Ren’s Legacy
Driver first portrayed Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens (2015) and reprised the role in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). While The Hunt for Ben Solo never reached production, it’s clear that both Driver and Soderbergh envisioned a deeply personal, emotionally rich story that could have added a bold new chapter to the Star Wars saga.
