Somewhere, in an alternate universe, there exists a Star Wars prequel directed by Lord and Miller, a stand-alone Star Wars trilogy directed by Rian Johnson and apparently a sequel to Episode IX from the mind of Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh.
Details for the latter previously unknown project were revealed in an interview the Academy Award-nominated actor did with the Associated Press.
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Driver telling the outlet that after The Rise of Skywalker, he had expressed interest in doing at least one more Star Wars film. So in 2021, he reached out to Kathleen Kennedy. Surprisingly, she didn’t say “No.”
He sold the film to her with a simple statement: “With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.”
He pulled out an old idea he had discussed with legendary director Steven Soderbergh. It involved what he called “unfinished business” Kylo Ren had to take care of, despite seemingly dying in the last episode.
After a little back and forth between Lucasfilm, he got Soderbergh to draft an outline with his wife, Rebecca Blunt (Jules Asner). The outline would later be scripted into what Driver called “one of the coolest ****** scripts I had ever been a part of,” by another Soderbergh associate, Scott Z. Burns.
Another surprise came when the group presented the idea to Lucasfilm and they loved it. However, the victory didn’t last long because when Bob Iger and Alan Bergman heard the pitch, they immediately shot it down. “They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”
The film would have been called “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” which ironically gives off the same vibes as rival sci-fi genre Star Trek’s third theatrical feature “The Search for Spock.”
When asked about the defunct production, Soderbergh confirmed to AP that the movie did really exist, but no further than inside his and Driver’s heads. “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it,” he said.
Representatives for Disney and Lucasfilm have declined to comment.
Currently, there are only two Star Wars films on Lucasfilm’s docket: next year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and 2027’s Star Wars: Starfighter. Thee are other films reportedly in various stages of development, but given the company’s track record, we probably shouldn’t hold out breath. The franchise does take place in space, after all.
SOURCE: Associated Press
