Steven Soderbergh Is Frustated Over THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO

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A potential new Star Wars film featuring the return of Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) was initially approved, but Disney later cancelled it last year. The project, called The Hunt for Ben Solo, had significant support from Lucasfilm, Adam Driver, and director Steven Soderbergh, and it progressed far in development. However, Disney decided to abandon it after Ben Solo’s death in The Rise of Skywalker. Now, following Kathleen Kennedy’s recent departure from Lucasfilm, Soderbergh has voiced his disappointment about spending two years working on the project without compensation.

Director Steven Soderbergh explained the frustration surrounding the cancelled Star Wars project involving the character Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and The Hunt for Ben Solo. He said it represented two and a half years of unpaid work for himself, Adam Driver, and Rebecca Blunt. When Driver considered publicly discussing the situation, Soderbergh advised him to simply state the facts without offering opinions or guesses. The official explanation they received was that Lucasfilm didn’t believe Ben Solo could still be alive, and that was all they knew. Soderbergh felt there was nothing more they could do but accept the decision and move forward.

Steven Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt were developing a project centered around the character Ben Solo. Adam Driver initially pitched the idea to Soderbergh several years ago. “I’ve always wanted to return to the Star Wars universe,” Driver explained in an interview with the Associated Press. That possibility felt within reach for the pair, until Disney cancelled The Hunt for Ben Solo. It was a significant setback. According to then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, this marked the first time Disney had rejected a fully completed script.

Soderbergh explained he’d fully envisioned the film and was upset no one else would experience it. He anticipated a straightforward discussion about budget, for which he had a solid plan, but the conversation never even reached that stage. He described the situation as unbelievable and expressed his disappointment, a sentiment shared by many fans who were eager to see The Hunt for Ben Solo made.

While it’s a big change with leaders like Kennedy and Bob Iger leaving, there’s hope for a brighter future. New leadership at Lucasfilm and Disney could revisit the idea for The Hunt for Ben Solo down the line. For now, they’re concentrating on The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.

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2026-02-19 01:33