The Hunt for Ben Solo: Why Disney cancelled the Star Wars film, explained

The Hunt for Ben Solo was a proposed Star Wars film that focused on the character of Ben Solo and his journey towards redemption. Adam Driver and director Steven Soderbergh spent time fleshing out the idea. Even so, Disney eventually chose not to proceed with the movie.

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, Star Wars entered a new era. The sequel trilogy introduced new heroes and villains, and among them was Ben Solo, the child of Han Solo and Leia Organa, who went to the dark side and became Kylo Ren.

In October 2025, Driver revealed that he and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had spent two years developing a follow-up film centered on Ben Solo’s redemption. The project, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, had a completed script and backing from Lucasfilm executives, including Kathleen Kennedy, Cary Beck, and Dave Filoni.

However, Driver revealed that Disney had decided not to move forward with the project, despite Lucasfilm’s full support. In an October 2025 interview with The Associated Press, Driver revealed that Disney rejected the film at the final approval stage, reportedly because executives were unsure how Ben Solo could return after dying in The Rise of Skywalker.

Driver stated:

''We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”

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Why Disney rejected The Hunt for Ben Solo?

A scene from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(Image via YouTube/ Star Wars)

The Hunt for Ben Solo was intended to be a smaller, character-driven narrative instead of a big-budget blockbuster. Driver went to Soderbergh, with whom he had collaborated on Logan Lucky, to direct the film. The concept was developed alongside Soderbergh and writer Rebecca Blunt before screenwriter Scott Z. Burns joined the project.

Driver described how Lucasfilm liked the script. He said:

''They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it.''

Lucasfilm’s leadership reportedly supported the project and was ready to move forward with production. Steven Soderbergh later noted on Bluesky that the situation was unusual for the studio:

“I asked Kathy Kennedy if [Lucasfilm] had ever turned in a finished movie script for greenlight to Disney and had it rejected. She said no — this was a first.”

Disney’s primary concern appeared to be Ben Solo’s return after he died in The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Although the franchise has had a tradition of bringing back characters, Disney chose not to proceed with the film.

Driver described the intention as creating a character-driven film in the vein of The Empire Strikes Back, centered on redemption while being economical in its production:

'‘Empire Strikes Back’ being, in my opinion, the standard of what those movies were. But he is, to me, one of my favorite directors of all time. He lives his code, lives his ethics, doesn’t compromise.”

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What's next for The Hunt for Ben Solo

The Hunt for Ben Solo remains an unproduced entry in the Star Wars universe. Driver reflected on the project, noting:

“It was called The Hunt for Ben Solo, and it was really cool. But it is no more, so I can finally talk about it. I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.''

For Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh, the disappointment seems to stem less from creative rejection and more from lost opportunity. While the project will not progress, the continued interest in Ben Solo’s story shows the character’s lasting impact within the saga.

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