(Image: Lucasfilm)
Fans of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" know that Adam Driver's villainous character, Ben Solo / Kylo Ren, became a Force ghost at the end, seemingly concluding his personal arc. However, Driver recently revealed to the Associated Press that he had plans to continue the character's story.
Driver confessed, "I always wanted to do another 'Star Wars.' I've been talking to them about it since 2021. Kathleen (Kennedy, Lucasfilm President) contacted me, and I said, 'As long as we find a good director and a good story, I'm absolutely in. I love the character and I enjoyed playing him.'"
(Image: Lucasfilm)
Driver later developed an idea for Kylo Ren's story and approached director Steven Soderbergh, with whom he had previously collaborated on the heist comedy "Logan Lucky," to develop it. Driver's initial motivation stemmed from his expectation that Kylo Ren's arc in the sequel trilogy would subvert Darth Vader's journey in the original trilogy. However, significant script changes late in the sequel series diverged from Driver's original vision, leaving him feeling that Kylo Ren's story was incomplete, particularly regarding his experiences before falling to the dark side.
(Image: Lucasfilm)
Driver envisioned the spin-off taking place after "The Rise of Skywalker." Soderbergh, along with his screenwriter wife Jules Asner, crafted a story outline and pitched it to Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm was reportedly interested after reviewing the concept, leading Soderbergh to bring in another frequent collaborator, screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, to pen the script. Driver praised Burns' script as one of the coolest stories he had ever received in his career.
(Image: Lucasfilm)
Driver then explained why the spin-off never materialized: "We submitted the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea, completely understood our creative angle, and why we wanted to make it. We took it to Bob Iger (Disney CEO) and Alan Bergman (Disney Co-Chairman), and they rejected it. They didn't understand how Ben Solo could survive, and that was that. The film was originally going to be titled 'The Pursuit of Ben Solo,' and the concept was really cool. But there won't be any follow-up to this film, so I can finally talk about it publicly."
(Image: Lucasfilm)
Driver also revealed that the spin-off's budget wouldn't have been excessively high: "We wanted to spend the money wisely, aiming to spend less than most films of this type, while still retaining the essence of such movies — practical craftsmanship and character as the core driving force of the story. In my opinion, 'The Empire Strikes Back' is the benchmark for this kind of film. For me, Soderbergh is also one of my favorite directors. He adheres to his principles and never compromises." Soderbergh also issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, "I thoroughly enjoyed the process of conceiving this film in my mind, but it's a shame fans won't get to see it."