American director Steven Soderbergh has broken his silence regarding the aborted sequel to the Star Wars saga. The project, titled 'The Hunt for Ben Solo,' on which the filmmaker worked for nearly three years with Adam Driver, was rejected by The Walt Disney Company. Despite full support from Lucasfilm, the studio abandoned production without even inquiring about the projected budget or script details, causing immense frustration among the creators and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Disney's Decision-Making Madness

Director Steven Soderbergh termed it madness that Disney rejected the film without asking about the budget or script details.

Three Years of Unpaid Work

The main people involved, including Adam Driver, dedicated nearly three years to developing the project, which ultimately ended up in the trash.

Conflict on the Lucasfilm-Disney Line

Despite support from Kathleen Kennedy and all of Lucasfilm, Disney's management blocked production of the sequel about Ben Solo.

Renowned director Steven Soderbergh expressed deep disappointment with the stance of The Walt Disney Company, which decided to abandon an ambitious project from the Star Wars universe. The film, tentatively titled 'The Hunt for Ben Solo,' was to focus on the further fate of the character played by Adam Driver. Soderbergh revealed that he dedicated nearly three years of unpaid work to developing the script and visual concept, believing he would receive the green light for production. Although Lucasfilm – the entity directly managing the brand – was delighted with the artistic vision, the final decision was made at the corporate level at Disney, where the project was deemed unnecessary. The decision to cancel the production was made without conducting standard financial analyses. Soderbergh emphasized that the decision-makers did not even ask about the preliminary budget or detailed plot solutions, which he termed "madness." According to the director's account, frustration spread to all involved parties, including Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, who reportedly personally supported the project. Adam Driver, who first mentioned the existence of this idea in October 2025, also did not hide his regret over the inability to return to the role of Ben Solo under the guidance of such a distinguished filmmaker. After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.05 billion, the studio has repeatedly changed its brand development strategy, resulting in numerous director rotations and project cancellations, including those by the duo from 'Game of Thrones' or Patty Jenkins. Currently, franchise fans are expressing strong dissatisfaction on social media, pointing to the wasted potential of collaboration with an Oscar winner. Soderbergh, known for such innovative works as 'Traffic' or the 'Ocean's Eleven' series, planned to bring a fresh perspective to the saga, avoiding the typical patterns of high-budget productions. This situation sheds new light on the tensions between cinematic visionaries and the corporate management model within the Disney holding, where financially safe formats are increasingly prioritized over auteur visions. „That was two and a half years of free work. No one even asked about the budget. It's just madness, we were all frustrated.” — Steven Soderbergh 3 years — creators worked on the project before its cancellation

Mentioned People

  • Steven Soderbergh — Oscar-winning director of films such as Ocean's Eleven and Traffic, whose Star Wars project was cancelled.
  • Adam Driver — Actor known for the role of Kylo Ren / Ben Solo, who collaborated with Soderbergh on the new script.
  • Kathleen Kennedy — President of Lucasfilm, who reportedly supported Soderbergh's project.