Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren in Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company’s sequel trilogy, revealed that Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman shut down a sequel film focused on his character.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Driver revealed that a script for the film called The Hunt for Ben Solo was penned by Scott Z. Burns and Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct.
Burns’ previous work includes the screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum as well as the writer of The Report and Contagion. Soderbergh is known for Erin Brockovich, Logan Lucky, Magic Mike, and the rebooted Ocean’s Eleven series. Soderbergh and Burns previously worked together on Contagion and Side Effects.
Driver told the AP, “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen (Kennedy) had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.”
After Burns completed his script it was presented to Lucasfilm brass who approved of it. “We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said. In fact, he described the script as “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.”
However, after it was presented to Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman it was promptly scrapped. “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,” Driver shared.
He then revealed the film’s name, “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.”
“We wanted to be judicial about how to spend money and be economical with it, and do it for less than most but in the same spirit of what those movies are, which is handmade and character-driven,” Driver added. “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.”
As for Soderbergh he said, “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”
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Lol I just realized I never watched the last movie! Even though my company gave us free tickets and time off from work. Yes, I would rather work than see that movie! With free popcorn no less! My family knows how much I like popcorn.
Anyway, I didn’t even know Kylo had died in the movie.
"We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive."
Wow. Between the two of them, they managed to have a not retarded objection to the creative bankruptcy and pig-headedness of KK and Lucas film.
It's like they could sense the fan memes-in-waiting.
"Somehow, Kylo Ren returned."