Adam Driver’s proposed ‘Star Wars’ spin-off centered on Ben Solo rejected by Disney
Actor Adam Driver has confirmed that Disney turned down a proposed Star Wars spin-off focused on Ben Solo, despite initial support from Lucasfilm.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Driver revealed that he had been in discussions about a follow-up film since 2021.
The project, tentatively titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, was envisioned as a continuation of the character’s arc following The Rise of Skywalker (2019), where Solo, also known as Kylo Ren, dies after a redemption storyline.
According to the actor, he had envisioned a character arc for Ren that would invert Darth Vader’s journey. As the trilogy progressed, that narrative didn’t fully materialize, leaving Driver with a sense of unfinished business for Ben Solo.
“I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second,” Driver told AP. “I loved that character and loved playing him.”
Director Steven Soderbergh and writer Rebecca Blunt developed the initial concept, which was later pitched to Lucasfilm executives, including president Kathleen Kennedy, vice president Cary Beck, and chief creative officer Dave Filoni.
Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns was then brought in to write the script, whose draft Driver praised as “one of the coolest scripts I had ever been a part of.”
“They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said.
However, the project was ultimately rejected by Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman.
“They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” the actor said.
Representatives of Disney and Lucasfilm declined to comment, the Hollywood Reporter and AP said.
“I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it,” Soderbergh said in a separate statement to AP.
Driver stars in Father Mother Sister Brother, a triptych directed by Jim Jarmusch exploring relationships between adult children and their parents, set for theatrical release via Mubi on Dec. 24.
He is currently preparing to film Alone at Dawn, co-starring Anne Hathaway, which tells the story of an Air Force combat controller who was killed in Afghanistan in 2002, with Ron Howard directing.