This week, Adam Driver told the Associated Press that he had spent two years developing a Star Wars movie with Steven Soderbergh.
The film, titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” would have followed Driver’s character — formerly known as Kylo Ren. The project was pitched to Lucasfilm, who liked the idea enough to bring in screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (”Contagion”) to write a script. Driver called it “one of the coolest” he’s ever read.
In 2024, Soderbergh reportedly began binge-watching Star Wars films to immerse himself in the expansive universe George Lucas first introduced back in 1977. According to Driver, Lucasfilm was enthusiastic about the Ben Solo project — until Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman stepped in and pulled the plug.
News of the scrapped project has caused quite a stir online. The idea of a Soderbergh-directed Star Wars movie clearly struck a chord with fans — at least with those scrolling through social media. Whether that enthusiasm extends to fans outside the internet is another question entirely.
Still, this wouldn’t be the first time an auteur filmmaker had their Star Wars pitch shut down. Remember Guillermo del Toro’s proposed Jabba the Hutt movie? That one was nixed too.
Meanwhile, The InSneider reports that David Fincher also had conversations with Lucasfilm about directing a post–Episode IX film, though details remain tightly under wraps. Fincher was previously approached to direct “Star Wars: Episode IX,” but turned it down — a decision that ultimately led J.J. Abrams to return and complete the trilogy.
Even after Episode IX, Fincher remained interested in developing a Star Wars story of his own, and he and Lucasfilm reportedly agreed on a budget and story. However, Fincher wanted final cut, and that’s something the studio was unwilling to grant. And really, has any filmmaker in the Disney era ever had final cut on a Star Wars movie? Of course not.
So, instead of a Soderbergh or Fincher vision, the next generation of post–Episode IX Star Wars films will come from filmmakers like Shawn Levy and Simon Kinberg. Aren’t we lucky?
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.