Fans were disappointed to learn that Adam Driver was no longer going to return to a galaxy far, far away as Ben Solo after he revealed that top Disney execs couldn’t understand how his “Star Wars” character could come back to life after the events of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” However, during Kathleen Kennedy’s exit interview, she revealed that the script was on the “back burner,” seemingly reigniting hope that Driver’s passion project might not be as dead as it once seemed.
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Kathleen Kennedy Restores Hope For Adam Driver’s ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo’ Star Wars Movie
Adam Driver portrayed Kylo Ren in 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” and 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” It was in that final movie that the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia turned back to the light and joined Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the fight against Emperor Palpatine as a redeemed Ben Solo. However, Rey was fatally wounded in the battle, and Ben Solo gave her his energy in order to bring her back to life. Once Rey was resurrected, Ben Solo faded into the Force, seemingly gone for good.
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But was he? Fans note that Ben Solo never made an appearance at the end of the film, and many have expressed hope that he was somehow able to live on thanks to the Force dyad that the two shared. Even though fans had hope that Ben Solo was still alive, it seems that Disney’s top brass couldn’t get on board with the idea.
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Adam Driver Explains Why ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo’ Was Shot Down
While promoting another film, Adam Driver revealed that the project had the backing of Lucasfilm execs like Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. Unfortunately, Disney CEO Bob Iger couldn’t understand how Ben Solo was still alive and prevented the project from going forward despite a completed script.
Driver told the Associated Press that he and director Steven Soderbergh spent two years working on a movie with a script created by writer Scott Z. Burns after gaining approval from Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni.
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“We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said. “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.”
He went on to say, “It was called ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ and it was really cool,” adding, “But it is no more, so I can finally talk about it.”
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Kathleen Kennedy Reveals That The Script Is On The ‘Backburner’
Although Driver’s comments made it seem like the project was over for good, Kathleen Kennedy’s exit interview with Deadline hinted that it is possible that “The Hunt For Ben Solo” could still see the light of day.
“And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk,” Kennedy told the publication.
Later, when discussing various other projects in the works, Kennedy revealed, “Mangold’s is really on the back burner, as is Soderbergh’s. I think the ones by Taika and Donald are still somewhat alive. That’s going to really be up to the new team to figure out.”
Stating that the film was “on the back burner,” and not outright canceled, has raised new hope for “Star Wars” fans that Ben Solo may yet return to a galaxy far, far away.
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What About Daisy Ridley’s Rey Movie?
Although Kennedy spoke about a few other projects in the works, she did not name the project focused on Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Numerous writers have been selected for the project and then let go, leaving the current status of the movie unknown.
It is possible that Rey’s story might be folded into Simon Kinberg’s trilogy. Although not much is known about the project so far, Kennedy revealed that he is still working away at a new trilogy.
“He’s working right now. He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago,” she explained. “And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.”
Other fans are hopeful that Rey might appear in “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which takes place after “The Rise of Skywalker” and is scheduled for a theatrical release in May 2027.
