Late last year, we learned that Star Wars sequel trilogy star Adam Driver and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had been quietly developing The Hunt for Ben Solo.
The movie, written by Scott Z. Burns, received the stamp of approval from Lucasfilm but was ultimately scrapped by Disney's Bob Iger and Alan Bergman.
The Hunt for Ben Solo came close to being made, and was reportedly ready to shoot when Lucasfilm took it to Disney to get a green light. However, for the first time in the Star Wars studio's history, the House of Mouse turned down a project ready to begin production.
The movie was set to reveal that Kylo Ren had somehow survived his run-in with Emperor Palpatine. For some reason, Iger and Bergman couldn't get their heads around the notion of resurrection in the Star Wars franchise. Fans have made their disappointment known, but so far, there's nothing to suggest that Disney and new Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni will try again with the movie.
During a recent interview with BKMAG (via SFFGazette.com), Soderbergh was asked about the apparent frustration former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy expressed during her exit interview.
"No, it was no surprise that she was frustrated. We were all frustrated," the filmmaker said. "You know, that was two and a half years of free work for me and Adam [Driver], and Rebecca Blunt. When Adam and I discussed him talking about it publicly, I said, 'Look, do not editorialize or speculate about the why. Just say what happened, because all we know is what happened.'"
"The stated reason was 'We don’t think Ben Solo could be alive.' And that was all we were told. And so there’s nothing to do about it, you know, except move on. And as I posted, I’d kind of made the movie in my head, and just felt bad that nobody else was going to get to see it. I thought the conversation was strictly going to be a practical one—where they go, what is this going to cost?"
"And I had a really good answer for that. But it never even got to that point. It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed," Soderbergh concluded.
Driver previously said that he had "unfinished business" with Kylo Ren after the character found redemption and died in the closing moments of 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.
So, he enlisted Soderbergh, who teamed with screenwriter Rebecca Blunt (Logan Lucky) to crack the story. Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) then started work on the screenplay, and they pitched the movie to Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy, Cary Beck, and Dave Filoni, who reportedly "loved the idea."
Kylo Ren emerged from the divisive Star Wars sequel trilogy as one of its most popular characters, and fans were devastated when he was killed off. We wouldn't bank on The Hunt for Ben Solo happening, but stranger things have happened, and it is a new era for Disney and Lucasfilm.