The revelation made by Academy Award-winning film director Steven Soderbergh that the Walt Disney Company has rejected the film that he has been working on for more than two years, which was titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” has been shocking to the fans of the film.
The film was to feature actor Adam Driver reprising his character as Ben Solo, as he was assumed to be dead after the events that transpired in the film “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The script of the film has been in the making for 30 months, and the filmmakers were not compensated for their work on it. “We were all frustrated… there’s nothing to do about it, you know, except move on.” The filmmakers assumed that the Walt Disney Company was serious about making the film.
The Reason Disney Said “No”
The reason that has been cited by the Walt Disney Company for saying no to the film can be understood, given that it was to feature characters such as Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine, as they were resurrected in the film. “The stated reason was, ‘We don’t think Ben Solo could be alive.’ And that was all we were told.” Which seems a little odd given The Rise of Skywalker started with “Somehow, Palpatine has returned.” The resurrection of Emperor Palpatine has been one of the biggest plot twists that has been featured in the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The rejection of the film’s script by the parent company, as reported, had been a disappointing move for the company’s outgoing president, Kathleen Kennedy.
It was also mentioned that it would have been made on a much lower budget than what is expected for an average $200 million blockbuster film, although Disney never really got into the details financially before canceling the film. While speaking about his Star Wars movie, Soderbergh mentioned that, “I thought the conversation was strictly going to be a practical one—where do they go, what is this going to cost? And I had a really good answer for that. But it never even got to that point. It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed.”
Driver stated that, “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.”
There is still a possibility of The Hunt for Ben Solo being produced with the new Disney leadership, with Josh D’Amaro expected to take the CEO role on March 18, 2026. This is especially true with the fact that there is still interest in the film among the fans, especially with the newfound interest in the #SaveTheHuntForBenSolo movement.
Although there are still other movies being produced, like The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, it has already been seven years since we last saw a Star Wars film.
