Adam Driver spoke this week about a "Star Wars" film that he pitched - and got rejected. The actor revealed that he had pitched a spinoff called "The Hunt for Ben Solo" to Disney, but the company passed, much to the dismay of many fans who are calling for the film to get a chance.
Fans are so passionate about this spinoff that one even commissioned a banner plane to fly over Disney Studios saying "Save The Hunt for Ben Solo." Star Wars fan Lianna Al Allaf, who said she wanted to show Disney just how much the character still resonates with audiences, hired the plane.
"I hope this banner shows just how much the character of Ben Solo means to so many of us, and that the fans really do want this movie," said Al Allaf.
Driver, who played Kylo Ren-also known as Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa-in the sequel trilogy, has long expressed that he felt the character's story was unfinished. Despite Ben's apparent death in "The Rise of Skywalker", Driver wanted to explore the emotional and moral fallout of his redemption. "There was a lot of unfinished business with Ben," Driver said. "I felt like there was still a story worth telling."
The actor teamed up with director Steven Soderbergh to develop the project over two years. The pair refined the concept before bringing in screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) to pen the script. What emerged was a dark, introspective story that delved deeper into Ben Solo's psyche and legacy.
"[It was] one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of," Driver said. "We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it. 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. 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."
The reveal has sparked widespread disappointment among fans, many of whom have taken to social media using hashtags like #SaveBenSolo and #MakeTheHuntHappen. For many, the campaign is not only about reviving a scrapped film, it's about giving closure to a character they feel was shortchanged in the sequel trilogy.
The "Star Wars" franchise continues to expand. Daisy Ridley is set to reprise her role as Rey in a new film centered on her mission to rebuild the Jedi Order and guide a new generation of Force users. Originally intended to be one of the first big-screen returns for the franchise, the project has faced repeated delays.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to "The Mandalorian & Grogu", which will arrive in theaters on May 22, 2026, marking the first "Star Wars" feature film since 2019. Following that, "Star Wars: Starfighter" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2027, and is currently in production.
Tags: star wars, adam driver, ben solo, disney