'They Didn't See How Ben Solo Was Alive. And That Was That' — Adam Driver Reveals Disney Said No to a 'Really Cool' Kylo Ren Star Wars Movie

Kylo Ren histrion Adam Driver has revealed helium and manager Steven Soderbergh spent 2 years processing a Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker follow-up called The Hunt for Ben Solo, but Disney said nary to the proposal.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Driver said that due to the fact that Disney had officially declined the movie, helium was present capable to speech astir it.

Driver played Ben Solo / Kylo Ren successful each of the 3 films successful Lucasfilm’s Sequel Trilogy, with his last quality successful 2019’s divisive The Rise of Skywalker. “I ever was funny successful doing different Star Wars,” Driver said. He revealed helium had been successful talks astir different Star Wars movie since 2021, and that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had “reached out.”

“I ever said: with a large manager and a large story, I’d beryllium determination successful a second,” Driver commented. “I loved that quality and loved playing him.”

The thought was The Hunt for Ben Solo, a movie directed by Soderbergh acceptable aft The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, it’s hard to ideate Ben Solo successful immoderate aboriginal Star Wars movie aft his heroic decease astatine the extremity of the movie (a fatally wounded Ben uses his remaining Force powerfulness to revive Rey and they buss earlier helium dies). But seemingly Driver felt determination was unfinished concern for his quality — and there’s an absorbing enactment successful the nonfiction that touches connected however Driver felt the Sequel Trilogy played retired for Kylo Ren:

Driver had undertaken the trilogy with an arc successful caput for Ren that inverted the travel of Darth Vader. As the trilogy evolved, it didn’t play retired that way.

The movie was pitched to Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and Lucasfilm main originative serviceman Dave Filoni, and they were seemingly interested. Scott Z. Burns was drafted successful to constitute a script, which Driver described arsenic “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a portion of.” Driver said Lucasfilm “loved the idea” and “totally understood our space and wherefore we were doing it.”

However, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney co-chairman Alan Bergman said no. "They didn’t spot however Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” helium said. Soderbergh told AP: “I truly enjoyed making the movie successful my head. I’m conscionable atrocious the fans won’t get to spot it.” Disney and Lucasfilm declined to comment.

Driver was described arsenic feeling mystified by the decision, insisting the program was to “be judicial astir however to walk wealth and beryllium economical with it, and bash it for little than astir but successful the aforesaid tone of what those movies are, which is handmade and character-driven.” He pointed to the much-loved Empire Strikes Back arsenic being “the modular of what those movies were.”

Alas, Disney and Lucasfilm person gone connected to instrumentality a precise antithetic direction. 2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu volition beryllium the archetypal Star Wars movie to deed theaters since The Rise of Skywalker came retired successful 2019. 2027 volition spot Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars: Starfighter. A fig of different Star Wars movies are announced, but based connected Lucasfilm’s way record, fans aren’t definite which, if any, volition really travel out.

Last week, Star Wars creator George Lucas said helium had fto spell of his instinct to negociate the franchise, 13 years aft selling the sci-fi beingness to Disney. Lucas, present 81, sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 cardinal backmost successful 2012, handing implicit everything from Industrial Light & Magic to Skywalker Sound arsenic portion of the deal. Since then, Disney has released the Sequel Trilogy, 2 A Star Wars Story films, and a fig of TV shows acceptable successful the Star Wars universe, including The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka.

Last year, Lucas suggested Star Wars’ caller bosses got a batch incorrect with the Sequel Trilogy. “I was the 1 who truly knew what Star Wars was,” helium said, “... who really knew this world, due to the fact that there’s a batch to it. The Force, for example, cipher understood the Force. When they started different ones aft I sold the company, a batch of the ideas that were successful [the original] benignant of got lost. But that’s the mode it is. You springiness it up, you springiness it up.”

In February, existent Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy responded to reports that she was acceptable to discontinue aboriginal successful 2025 aft it was indicated that the seasoned movie shaper was looking to determination connected astatine the extremity of her declaration this year.

Deadline reported that Kennedy was moving with Bob Iger connected a succession program 13 years into the job, with Star Wars Rebels creator and existent Lucasfilm main originative serviceman Dave Filoni seemingly successful a “strong position” to instrumentality connected the role. However, she insisted: “The information is, and I privation to conscionable accidental large and clear, I americium not retiring.”

"I volition ne'er discontinue from movies," she continued. "I volition dice making movies. That is the archetypal happening that’s important to say. I americium not retiring."

As for Adam Driver, intelligibly he’s present done with Star Wars — contempt Daisy Ridley's quality Rey Skywalker in-line to look successful respective upcoming Star Wars films. Ridley is already confirmed to beryllium returning successful one: the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to The Rise of Skywalker. It volition archer the communicative of Rey arsenic she looks to rebuild the Jedi Order astir 15 years aft the events of that film.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].