Adam Driver Confirms Kylo Ren Film Is Dead

Adam Driver has confirmed the Kylo Ren film is dead. Disney executives, led by chairman Bob Iger and president Alan Bergman, rejected the planned sequel after two years of development.

The project, titled 'The Hunt for Ben Solo', was a direct sequel to 'The Rise of Skywalker'. Driver and director Steven Soderbergh worked on it from 2021 into 2025, pitching it to Lucasfilm. While Lucasfilm loved the idea, the final decision rested with Disney's top brass, who passed on the project. Staff were being hired to take the film into production before it was axed.

Creative team and development history

Steven Soderbergh, writer Rebecca Blunt, and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns spent two years crafting a script with Adam Driver. The actor, who played Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy, stated the team got a script together that was really good. He called the collaborative effort awesome and really cool.

Driver appeared on 'The Rich Eisen Show' to break the news. He attributed the rejection to Disney's firm stance on the character's fate, saying, "we tried to do one more, but they’re like, ‘no, he’s dead’". The actor confirmed the project is over for him and that he does not see himself playing Kylo Ren again. A reported $3 million was paid to Scott Z. Burns for his screenplay work.

Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy had supported reviving the idea. However, Iger and Bergman could not see how Ben Solo could be alive after his death in Episode IX. Dave Filoni confirmed last summer that the film was not in active development.

Fan reaction and advocacy

Driver acknowledged the fans' response to the dropped film as pretty incredible. Supporters organized a significant campaign, renting billboards and paying for a plane to fly a banner reading 'Save The Hunt for Ben Solo' over Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

Driver’s personal stance and exit

Adam Driver said he would return if Disney revived the project, but believes the ship has sailed. His family commitments now limit his availability. In a 2024 podcast interview, Driver mentioned he does not want to be away for long due to fatherhood. He has a son and a daughter with his wife, Joanne Tucker, and has spoken about his strict parenting rules.

The actor's exit from the galaxy far, far away is definitive for now. He stated he will not return to Star Wars unless 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' is revived. The next confirmed Star Wars film, 'Star Wars: Starfighter', directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is slated for release on May 28, 2027.