Steven Soderbergh Says ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ Isn’t Happening Even After Disney Leadership Change

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Director Steven Soderbergh says the planned Star Wars film, The Hunt for Ben Solo, is no longer happening—much like its main character. Soderbergh, writer Jules Asner (using the name Rebecca Blunt), and actor Adam Driver had been developing the story. Though Kathleen Kennedy, then president of Lucasfilm, and Dave Filoni, who later became president and COO, apparently liked the idea, Adam Driver has stated that Disney’s leadership ultimately decided against it.

Disney has had new leadership since the project was put on hold, leading fans to wonder if it might be revived. But so far, there’s been no sign of that happening. Now, it seems director Steven Soderbergh is no longer involved either.

“Look, if it was gonna happen, it would have happened,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

From Conception to Rejection

When asked by The Playlist about potentially making The Hunt for Ben Solo, Steven Soderbergh gave a straightforward answer: “No.”

The director shared that Adam Driver originally came to him with the concept. Driver wasn’t completely satisfied with how his character, Ben Solo, ended in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker – especially after the film showed Ben’s redemption and death. Soderbergh remembered Driver telling him he believed there was more to explore with the character.

According to reports, the creators spent two years writing the script on their own. They then shared it with Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni, who gave them some encouragement. Ultimately, the project, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, was presented to Disney’s Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, but they weren’t convinced Ben Solo could still be alive, and the idea was dropped, as Adam Driver explained in a 2025 interview.

Money likely played a part too. Each Star Wars film with Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) made less profit than the one before it. Even though The Rise of Skywalker earned a billion dollars, its huge production costs meant it actually lost money.

Fan Campaigns and Moving On

When a writer on the project called the script for The Hunt for Ben Solo “one of the coolest I’ve ever worked on,” fans became very excited. They even flew a banner over Disney Studios in California, saying “SAVE THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO!” This quickly led to a social media campaign and a billboard in Times Square.

A dedicated Star Wars enthusiast recently funded a Times Square billboard urging Disney to release ‘THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO’!

A message expressing hope for Adam Driver’s character, Ben Solo, in Star Wars. It states that no one is truly gone and confirms Ben is still alive, using the hashtag #THBS (The Hunt For Ben Solo).

👉 Follow for more updates!

— The Fandom Feed (@thefandomfeed) October 26, 2025

Soderbergh quickly shifted his attention to other work. As soon as it became clear his previous project wouldn’t move forward, he started writing something new. He explained that it’s best to simply accept setbacks and keep working, comparing it to complaining about the weather – it’s unproductive. He prefers to focus on what’s next.

The Creative Takeaway

Currently, The Hunt for Ben Solo won’t be moving forward as a Star Wars project. With new content like this summer’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, it seems the focus for theatrical releases is now on fun, enjoyable movies.

Even though the screenplay was ultimately abandoned, Soderbergh doesn’t see the time spent on it as a loss. He said, ‘I don’t regret a single moment of it. The work itself was strong, and just the process of working on it is valuable – it’s like a workout for your creative muscles. It’ll likely benefit you in ways you don’t even realize later on.’

Even though fans still dream about how things might have turned out, this project shows how big ideas can be affected by business decisions. It also proves that even projects that never fully come to life can still deeply influence the people who worked on them.

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2026-04-09 23:57