Rejected by Disney: Oscar-Winning Director Steven Soderbergh Once Pitched a Ben Solo Star Wars Film
Can you imagine a Star Wars film directed by Steven Soderbergh, the Oscar-winning director behind the Ocean's Trilogy and Traffic?
In a new interview with the Associated Press yesterday, Adam Driver, the lead actor of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, discussed his experiences working with directors like Michael Mann (Ferrari), Francis Ford Coppola (Megalopolis), and Jim Jarmusch (Father Mother Sister Brother, winner of the latest Venice Golden Lion). However, the most captivating news for fans concerned his time with Star Wars: He and Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Trilogy and Traffic) had developed a concept for a Star Wars film that was ultimately rejected by Disney executives.
Adam Driver revealed in the interview that he first pitched the Star Wars film idea to Steven Soderbergh. The proposed title was The Hunt for Ben Solo, and the story would have taken place after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, revolving around the redemption process of his character, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. Soderbergh then collaborated with Rebecca Blunt (Logan Lucky) to develop a story outline. They pitched it to Lucasfilm executives, including President Kathleen Kennedy, Vice President Cary Beck, and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni, who were reportedly interested in the concept. Soderbergh then brought in Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) to write the script. Driver even called it "one of the coolest scripts I had ever been a part of," noting that Lucasfilm loved it and understood its unique angle and motivation. The entire creative process spanned two years, but the film was ultimately shot down by Disney CEO Bob Iger and other executives. Their reason: “They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive.”
Every year at the beginning of the year, Steven Soderbergh posts a list of all the films, TV shows, and books he consumed in the previous year on his blog. In 2024, he notably re-watched the first six Star Wars episodes, likely in preparation for this ultimately unmade Star Wars film. Soderbergh is an acclaimed director whose film Sex, Lies, and Videotape won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. He later won the Academy Award for Best Director for Traffic and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Director for Behind the Candelabra. He remains one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors, with three films—Presence, Black Bag, and The Christophers—released or premiered this year, all receiving positive reviews.
Since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Lucasfilm has not released any new Star Wars films, instead focusing on numerous streaming series like The Mandalorian, Andor, and The Acolyte. Next May, they will release The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), and they plan to release Star Wars: Starfighter in May 2027, directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine). One can imagine that many fans would have been much more interested in a Star Wars film directed by Steven Soderbergh.
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Photo: Star Wars
Source: Associated Press, Soderblog