Daisy Ridley Breaks Silence On Cancelled Star Wars Spinoff Movie

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Speaking with IGN, Ridley discussed the saga of The Hunt for Ben Solo. “I knew a piece of it. I heard rumblings,” she said. “I have lots of friends who are crew, so things always travel like that. But, whoa! When the story came out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ And it was him that said it, right? It was funny because, like, ‘Oh, wow, Adam is saying it,’ and that’s the big surprise of the year.”

She continued, speaking on the fan campaigns pushing for Disney to give the film the green light. “I do love when there is a collective of positivity. The way the internet seems to have rallied to try and get it to happen. I think it’s fantastic for us all. It’s good for us to all be united about something in a really positive way. Obviously, everyone knows he was a very popular character, but it was also lovely to think, ‘Wow, people really, really care and want this.’ I just … I like it. I like when people join forces — excuse the pun — from all around the world, all different sorts of people.”

The Hunt for Ben Solo Had an Advantage Over Star Wars’ Rey Spinoff Movie

Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm

The Hunt for Ben Solo plot details are unknown, though it’s safe to assume Rey would have had some kind of role in the story. Her dynamic with Kylo Ren was one of the defining aspects of the sequel trilogy, culminating with the revelation of their Force dyad. Given the significance of their connection, Rey would probably be leading the titular hunt for Ben Solo, believing he is still alive somewhere in the galaxy. If that was the case, and Rey factored into the spinoff’s narrative, The Hunt for Ben Solo could have been a way for Lucasfilm to continue Rey’s story after the sequel trilogy, something the studio is very interested in — though that’s proven to be a tough nut to crack.

A new Star Wars movie tentatively titled New Jedi Order was announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, with Ridley confirmed to reprise Rey. Since then, the project has cycled through multiple writers as different scribes have taken a stab at figuring out the story. On the surface, the premise is very intriguing; the film would see Rey launch a new Jedi temple several years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. But something about it isn’t working since New Jedi Order has yet to be officially dated, and it’s unknown if the film will ever actually happen.

The script issues plaguing New Jedi Order are not unique to that particular spinoff. Other Star Wars projects have fallen apart over creative differences. With Lucasfilm’s track record in mind, it’s quite curious that Disney rejected the Hunt for Ben Solo pitch. There was finished screenplay from a respected screenwriter (Scott Z. Burns) and an Oscar-winning helmsman in Soderbergh attached to direct. A filmmaker as smart as Soderbergh probably had a logical explanation for why Ben Solo was still alive, making Disney’s decision odd. One would think that Lucasfilm’s enthusiasm over the script would be enough to convince Disney to give it a green light.

Sadly, there are reportedly no plans for Adam Driver to return to Star Wars, meaning The Hunt for Ben Solo will likely never be revived (even with the continued efforts of the online fan campaign). But if Lucasfilm keeps struggling with New Jedi Order, perhaps Disney could reconsider its stance. The Hunt for Ben Solo got further than any other cancelled Star Wars spinoff, as Lucasfilm even presented a production budget and shooting schedule, so it had all the pieces in place before Disney turned it down. Rey is allegedly vital to Star Wars’ movie future, so if The Hunt for Ben Solo is the best option to bring her back, then an argument could be made that it should get off the ground.

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