Adam Driver recently revealed that Disney ultimately shut
down a proposed Star Wars sequel centered on his character, Ben Solo —
even though Lucasfilm initially supported the project.
The Oscar-nominated actor, known for portraying the
conflicted Kylo Ren — the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and grandson of
Darth Vader — opened up about the failed sequel in an interview with The
Associated Press.
“I was always open to doing another Star Wars,”
Driver shared. “I’d been discussing it since 2021. Kathleen Kennedy [president
of Lucasfilm] had reached out, and I told her if the story and director were
great, I’d jump in right away. I really loved playing that character.”
Driver eventually teamed up with director Steven Soderbergh
on a concept for a follow-up set after 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. He
had previously starred in The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi
(2017).
Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt developed a story idea and
brought in screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who penned what Driver called “one of
the coolest f***ing scripts I’ve ever been part of.”
According to Driver, Lucasfilm was enthusiastic: “They loved
the idea. They completely understood our approach and why we were doing it.”
However, when the team took the script — tentatively titled The
Hunt for Ben Solo — to Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, things
hit a wall.
“They said no. They didn’t understand how Ben Solo could
still be alive,” Driver recalled. In The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren has
a redemption arc and dies at the end of the film.
Although disappointed, Driver said, “It was a really cool
idea. But it’s dead now, so I can finally talk about it.”
Soderbergh also commented via statement to The Associated
Press: “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the
fans won’t get to see it.”
Lucasfilm declined to comment when contacted by The Hollywood Reporter.
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