The Playlist has shed more light on The Hunt for Ben Solo, confirming that the film had a completed script, Lucasfilm’s creative stamp of approval, and was greenlit internally before being canceled by Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman.
Sources close to the project emphasize that this was not a loose concept or early pitch. The film, operating under the codename Quiet Leaves, had a finalized screenplay and was entering early prep and staffing stages. Disney purchased a fully developed treatment and beat sheet, developed by Soderbergh and screenwriter Rebecca Blunt (the pseudonym for Jules Asner, Soderbergh’s wife, who also wrote “Logan Lucky”), and hired Scott Z. Burns—who was paid more than any screenwriter in Lucasfilm history—to complete the screenplay. Burns’ connection to “Star Wars” goes back further than most realize: The Playlist previously reported in 2016 that the “Contagion” screenwriter was one of the uncredited writers on “Rogue One” before Tony Gilroy came aboard to take over and complete that film. According to insiders, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Carrie Beck were directly involved throughout development and were reportedly enthusiastic about the drafts that came in. Kennedy and the “Star Wars” Story Group waited until the project was “ready to shoot” before they presented it to Disney. When the final script, budget, and proposed start date were delivered to Disney, it marked the first time Lucasfilm had ever presented a fully approved project that did not move forward [update: Soderbergh confirmed this detail himself just moments ago on BlueSky].
After the submission, the project stalled at the executive level. Sources say Bergman took an unusually long time to read the script, and when he and Iger finally responded, their primary concern was narrative continuity—specifically, uncertainty about how Ben Solo could be alive following the events of “The Rise of Skywalker.” Internally, that reaction surprised Lucasfilm leadership, who reportedly felt the story’s logic was clear and creatively sound. Several people close to the production interpret the decision as politically motivated, coinciding with Iger’s efforts to position Bergman as his successor at Disney.
The fallout from that decision appears to have extended beyond the project itself. Bergman’s handling of several high-profile initiatives has been criticized internally, and his standing within Disney’s succession plan has reportedly weakened. Other executives, including Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden, are now viewed as stronger contenders for the top job. Soderbergh and Driver were never compensated for their work on the project, while Burns reportedly received a low but substantial seven-figure sum.
Evidence of the film’s progress surfaced earlier this year when Lucasfilm designer Bobby McKenna posted on Twitter that he had taken part in a “design sprint” under the Quiet Leaves codename—an early preproduction phase for the movie. The title itself strongly suggests the narrative focus: Ben Solo, redeemed at the end of “The Rise of Skywalker,” survives, and his whereabouts become the central mystery. Whether Rey Skywalker or other established characters were involved remains unconfirmed.
Some fans have speculated that Driver’s recent comments were an attempt to pressure Disney into reviving the project, but sources close to both the actor and Soderbergh dispute this. Both filmmakers reportedly consider the project permanently shelved and are no longer bound by NDAs or any contractual restrictions, as the film is classified internally as “dead” (hence, feeling free to discuss it publicly for the first time).
It seems we’ve not heard the end of this story and I wonder how long before we see a script/screenplay. Would you want to see a Ben Solo sequel film set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know your thoughts…
