Daisy Ridley On Canceled ‘Star Wars’ Kylo Ren Spinoff Movie & Campaign From Fans To Save It: “I Like When People Join Forces”
Daisy Ridley is weighing in on the Star Wars spinoff film, in which Adam Driver was attached to star and reprise his role of Kylo Ren.
The film had been in development under the title of The Hunt for Ben Solo with Steven Soderbergh attached to direct. However, development of the movie was halted when Disney boss Bob Iger ultimately shot it down, despite Lucasfilm’s support for the project.
“I knew a piece of it. I heard rumblings,” Ridley told IGN about the Star Wars film. “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.”
Driver took on the role of Ben Solo for the Star Wars sequel trilogy, playing the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, best known as Darth Vader.
As you may know, Ben Solo turns into the villain Kylo Ren, who has a redemption arc and apparently dies at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. However, Driver felt his character had unfinished business and thought of an idea for a sequel film.
“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Driver said in an interview with AP. “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen (Kennedy) had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.”
Driver noted that they presented the idea to Iger and Alan Bergman, but “they didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive,” and it didn’t move forward.
When news broke, Star Wars fans embraced the idea and have campaigned to have the project move forward.
“I do love when there is a collective of positivity,” Ridley said of the fan campaign to save The Hunt for Ben Solo. “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.”
Ridley is set to reprise her Star Wars role in a new sequel movie, which has had multiple scribes across its development.
