Steven Soderbergh has no intention of reviving The Hunt for Ben Solo, even as Disney operates under new leadership.
During an interview with The Playlist on the press tour for his latest film The Christophers, the filmmaker simply said “nope” when asked about reviving the project. His full answer was just as blunt. “Look, if it was gonna happen, it would have happened. It’s that simple.”
The Hunt for Ben Solo Project Explained
Adam Driver revealed the existence of The Hunt for Ben Solo in an October 2025 interview with the Associated Press, explaining he had been developing a movie to revive his character for two years with Soderbergh, before Disney executives pulled the plug.
Soderbergh clarified it was never his idea to return to the franchise. “It was strictly Adam saying, ‘I think there’s still somewhere to go with this character.’ That’s how it started,” he told The Playlist. The concept made it far enough to impress the people at Lucasfilm. According to Driver, “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.”
Soderbergh previously revealed the studio axed the movie before even hearing how much it would cost. That detail hit hard. The whole creative team, including writer Rebecca Blunt, had put in serious time. Soderbergh noted it was “two and a half years of free work” for him, Driver, and Blunt.
Fan Campaigns and Leadership Changes
Some fans held out hope after major leadership changes at both companies. Kathleen Kennedy, who supported the project, stepped down as Lucasfilm president in January after a 14-year run. Dave Filoni is now in charge as co-president, and Bob Iger is also out at Disney, with Josh D’Amaro now serving as CEO. A group of fans even paid for a plane to fly a banner reading “Save ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo'” over Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
None of it moved Soderbergh. He told The Playlist, “As soon as it became apparent, ‘OK, not gonna happen,’ I sat down and started writing [something else]. It’s like, ‘OK, new scenario, let’s get cracking.’ At a certain point, it’s like complaining about the weather.”
He added that he has no regrets either: “I never in a million years would have found myself in that universe again. I don’t regret one minute of the time we spent working on that. I felt the work was good. It’s just good for you to be in that room and working on it…It’ll have a residual effect that will be unexpected at some point.”
For Star Wars fans still hoping for a Ben Solo return, the director’s message is about as final as it gets.
