Well, *That's* A First! Disney Apparently Turned Down a Completed Lucasfilm Script For Ben Solo's Big Hunt. What Gives, Mates?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Steven Soderbergh revealed that Disney's rejection of his completed *The Hunt For Ben Solo* script, which would have seen Adam Driver return as Ben Solo, was a historical first for Lucasfilm. According to IGN South Africa's Lex Briscuso, Disney cited Ben Solo's perceived lack of 'aliveness' as the reason, baffling Driver and sparking widespread fan outrage.
Right then, gather 'round, folks, because it seems we've stumbled upon a bit of a digital anomaly in the vast Star Wars galaxy. You know, the kind of head-scratcher that makes you wonder if someone spilled their Blue Milk on the main server. The buzz lately has been all about *The Hunt For Ben Solo*, a project that had Steven Soderbergh (yes, *that* Soderbergh) at the helm. And wouldn't you know it, he's just dropped a bombshell hotter than a freshly ignited lightsaber: Disney, for the first time ever, apparently flat-out rejected a *completed* Lucasfilm script. Blimey, indeed!
According to Soderbergh himself, who spilled the Bantha beans on his BlueSky account (gotta love those unfiltered digital spaces, eh?), he straight-up asked Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy if Disney had ever turned down a finished script before. Her answer? A resounding 'No, this was a first.' Crikey, talk about a plot twist!
Soderbergh, bless his digitally wizardly heart, also confessed he didn't enjoy having to keep this whole thing under wraps. And you can't blame him, can you? Imagine crafting an epic narrative in your head, only for the 'devs' to pull the plug just as you're about to hit 'publish.' Adam Driver, the man who brought Ben Solo/Kylo Ren to life, was equally gutted, calling it 'one of the coolest f—king scripts I had ever been a part of.' He'd apparently been chatting about returning to the Star Wars universe since 2021, eager to pick up Ben's redemption arc after *The Rise of Skywalker*. A proper quest for a character desperately needing a post-game patch, you might say.
So, if everyone was so keen, and the script was apparently top-tier, what in the name of the Force happened? Well, here's where it gets a bit... *hazy*. Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chairman Alan Bergman apparently 'didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive.'
Now, I’m no Jedi Master, but 'didn't see how a character was alive' after the *Rise of Skywalker* ending feels a bit like saying you didn't see how the last boss was defeated, even though you just watched the cutscene. Driver himself was reportedly mystified, pointing out that the plan was to be 'judicial about how to spend money and be economical with it, and do it for less than most but in the same spirit of what those movies are, which is handmade and character-driven.' He even name-dropped *Empire Strikes Back* as the gold standard. Sounds like a pitch for a focused, high-quality indie game, not a budget black hole, eh? One can't help but wonder if there was more to it than just a perceived lack of... *aliveness*.
And the fans? Oh, mate, the fans are absolutely not having it. This isn't just a few grumbles in a Discord server; we're talking full-blown player revolt! A Change.org petition has racked up over 3,700 signatures, demanding to 'Save The Hunt For Ben Solo.' But the real pièce de résistance? A group of dedicated souls chartered a bloody plane, flying a banner over Disney Studios that read, 'Save ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo.’’ That's not just passion, that's commitment to the lore, the kind of dedication you usually see for unvaulting a favourite weapon or restoring a beloved questline. Fair dinkum, that's legendary!
So there you have it, a tale of a promising Star Wars project, a first-ever corporate rejection, and a fan base that's absolutely not going gently into that good night. While Soderbergh enjoys 'making the movie in his head,' and Driver laments the lost opportunity for a character he clearly loved, it certainly gives us a peek behind the corporate curtain, doesn't it? As always, it’s a curious dance between creative vision and bottom-line decisions. Hats off to Lex Briscuso over at IGN South Africa for digging up these digital tea leaves and bringing us this fascinating tidbit. What does this mean for future Lucasfilm projects? Only time, and perhaps another rogue BlueSky post, will tell!
**Source:** IGN South Africa (Lex Briscuso)
Tags: Star Wars, Lucasfilm, Ben Solo, Corporate Decisions, Fan Reaction
Original article: IGN South Africa