Director of ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ reveals new details about the cancellation of the ‘Star Wars’ movie with Adam Driver

For a brief moment, it seemed like Lucasfilm was ready to continue Ben Solo’s story after the events of ‘The Rise of Skywalker‘. The project, titled ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo‘, was to be directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Adam Driverbut was canceled by Disney right after receiving the green light. A new report from The Playlist (later corroborated by the director) has revealed how this film, developed in secret under the code name Quiet Leaveswas close to filming before the executives Bob Iger y Alan Bergman They decided to stop her.

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What exactly was ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’?

According to the report, ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo‘was conceived as a story after ‘The Rise of Skywalker’focused on the survival of the character played by Adam Driverwho would have managed to live after the events of Episode IX. The project had Steven Soderbergh as director and Scott Z. Burns as main screenwriter. Both had already collaborated before on ‘The Laundromat’ y ‘Contagion‘, and this time they sought to take their sober and political style to the distant galaxy.

The outlet notes that the film “advanced well beyond development: it had a complete script, the full creative seal of approval from Lucasfilm, including Kathleen Kennedy, and was greenlit internally before being canceled by Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman.” The film, developed with the internal title Quiet Leaveshad entered an early pre-production phase, with conceptual designs by the artist Bobby McKennawho confirmed his participation on social networks.

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The script was written by Scott Z. Burnsbased on a treatment developed by Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt (pseudonym of Jules Asnerwife of the director). Disney bought the idea and hired Burns, who, according to the memo, “was paid more than any other screenwriter in Lucasfilm history.” In addition, Burns already had a previous connection with the franchise, having participated as an uncredited screenwriter in ‘Rogue One’.

Why did Disney cancel an already approved movie?

According to The Playlist‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ It was presented to Disney directors with everything necessary to start filming: final script, budget and tentative shooting date. It was, according to the publication, “The first time Lucasfilm presented a fully approved project that did not move forward.”

However, the project was stopped when executives Bob Iger y Alan Bergman They reviewed the material. The text cites that “His main concern was narrative continuity, specifically, the uncertainty about how Ben Solo could be alive after the events of ‘The Rise of Skywalker’” Within Lucasfilm, this decision caused surprise, as the creative team considered that the story had logic and coherence within the canon.

Sources close to the production interpreted the cancellation as a political rather than a creative decision, related to Iger’s efforts to position Bergman as his possible successor as president of Disney. Both Soderbergh and Driver did not receive compensation for their work, although Burns was paid a seven-figure sum. The project was classified as “dead” within the company’s internal files, freeing its creators from any confidentiality agreement.

Could this project be revived in the future?

Although some fans have speculated that the recent statements of Adam Driver They sought to pressure Disney to revive the film, The Playlist clarifies that both the actor and Soderbergh “consider the project permanently shelved.” In an interview with Associated PressDriver himself confirmed that he worked with Soderbergh and Burns on a ‘Star Wars’ project that did not prosper, while the director endorsed the information shortly after through BlueSky.

The outlet also denied rumors that linked David Fincher with a new ‘Star Wars’ movie, clarifying that the filmmaker only held informal conversations with Lucasfilm before ‘The Force Awakens’without developing any script.

For now, the future of the saga seems to concentrate on already confirmed titles such as ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ (2026) y ‘Star Wars: Starfighter‘ (2027). However, the history of ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ remains an exceptional case: a film completely approved by Lucasfilm that was stopped by Disney at its most advanced point of development, a decision that reveals the internal tensions in the company and the uncertain creative balance that the most famous galactic film franchise is going through.

With information from The Playlist.

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