Adam Driver is still frustrated that Disney passed on “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” his Star Wars movie with Steven Soderbergh. He told the AP the call “felt criminal” and that he is moving on.
Adam Driver still can’t make sense of why Disney said no to “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
In a new interview with The Associated Press, the actor called the decision to scrap his Star Wars movie with director Steven Soderbergh “criminal,” then softened it a bit.
“It’s criminal. Or it felt criminal,” Driver told the AP. He added that everyone involved is moving on.
Driver spoke while promoting his new movie, “Paper Tiger.”
Why is Adam Driver upset about “The Hunt for Ben Solo”?
Driver spent about two and a half years developing the movie with Soderbergh, Variety reports. He told the AP he was surprised that Soderbergh’s name alone was not enough to get Disney excited.
His point was simple. One of the most respected directors in Hollywood wanted to make a Star Wars movie, and Driver did not understand what there was to debate.
The movie would have picked up after 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Driver’s character, Ben Solo, appeared to die at the end of that film.
What happened to “The Hunt for Ben Solo”?
Driver first revealed the project in October 2025, also in an interview with the AP.
He said he and Soderbergh worked on the story with writer Rebecca Blunt, and Scott Z. Burns wrote the script. Lucasfilm liked the idea. Then they took it to then-Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chairman Alan Bergman, who turned it down.
According to Driver, the executives did not see how Ben Solo could still be alive. Soderbergh later said he was very disappointed by the decision.
Disney and Lucasfilm declined to comment at the time.
How did Star Wars fans react?
Fans pushed back hard after Driver went public.
Fans paid for billboards in Times Square calling for Ben Solo’s return, and someone flew a plane over the Disney lot in Burbank, California, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
Driver told the AP he was blown away by the response. He said he never expected billboards in Times Square, and called the reaction very moving.
Is Adam Driver done with Star Wars?
It sounds like it, for now.
Earlier in his “Paper Tiger” press tour, Driver told “The Rich Eisen Show” that he thinks “the ship has sailed” on playing Kylo Ren again. He said it would be up to Disney if it ever wanted to revisit the idea, but it is not his call.
In the new AP interview, Driver said Soderbergh already has another script that is one of the best things he has ever written. He did not say what it is or whether Driver is involved.
The two have worked together before. Soderbergh directed Driver in the 2017 heist comedy “Logan Lucky.” He also produced “The Report,” a 2019 drama starring Driver that Burns wrote and directed.
Did the Ben Solo movie lead Adam Driver to start a company?
In part, it seems.
Driver revealed that he and several others have formed a production company, Yahoo Entertainment reports. The goal is to make ambitious films at a modest cost, with the people who make them sharing in the profits.
Driver said he plans to work with filmmakers like Jeff Nichols, who directed him in “Midnight Special.”
He joked that an actor with a production company is a little like an actor with a guitar at drama school. He also wondered whether they would only come up with ideas that someone will say no to. Yahoo Entertainment read that as another nod to “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
What is “Paper Tiger”?
“Paper Tiger” is a crime drama directed by James Gray. Driver stars with Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller.
The movie opened in limited release on Nov. 13 and expands to more theaters on Nov. 20.
Driver has been open about how hard it was to sell the movie, even with a $15 million budget and big-name stars. He called the trouble finding a buyer absurd, according to The A.V. Club.
As with his Star Wars movie, a great director and cast did not guarantee a studio would say yes.
Could “The Hunt for Ben Solo” still happen?
Characters have come back from the dead in Star Wars before. But Driver keeps saying he has moved on, and Soderbergh has a new project.
For now, “The Hunt for Ben Solo” remains one of the most talked-about Star Wars movies that never got made.
Would you have watched “The Hunt for Ben Solo”? Tell us what you think.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Variety (Nov. 14, 2026), the AP interview quotes and the development timeline
The Associated Press (Nov. 2026), Driver’s interview on “Paper Tiger” and Star Wars
Yahoo Entertainment (Nov. 12, 2026), the fan campaign, the production company and “Paper Tiger” details
The A.V. Club (Nov. 14, 2026), Driver’s comments on selling “Paper Tiger”
The Playlist (Nov. 12, 2026), the Soderbergh, Blunt and Burns history
GamesRadar+ (Oct. 21, 2025), the original reveal and Disney’s reasoning
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