Published Nov 14, 2026, 11:56 AM EST
George is a film critic and journalist with over nine years of experience in the entertainment industry. Beginning as the Co-Creator and Co-Editor of Star Wars Holocron, the most followed Star Wars fan account on Twitter/X, George went on to develop The HoloFiles, a movie and television-focused website with his brother and writing partner Josh.
A member of the Hollywood Creative Alliance, Chicago Indie Critics, Online Film and Television Association, and the Internet Film Critic Society, George has covered major industry events as credentialed media, including D23, CinemaCon, SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Star Wars Celebration, Tribeca Festival, and more. He also regularly writes reviews and contributes articles to ScreenAnarchy, BRWC, Film Obsessive, TV Obsessive, and Under the Radar. George's work has been featured in various esteemed publications, including the BBC, Associated Press, Forbes, and The New York Times.
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One of the most talked about movies of the year (a movie that, as of now, has yet to be made) returned to the news cycle recently following comments from its would-be star.
Earlier this year, Adam Driver revealed that he and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh once worked on The Hunt for Ben Solo, a Star Wars film that would have taken place after the sequel trilogy and revived Driver’s fan-favorite redeemed Vader wannabe. The months since Driver’s jaw-dropping reveal have led to many fans demanding that Disney greenlight the project, especially as the landscape of Star Wars on the big screen remains murky to say the least.
In a recent interview with Rich Eisen, Driver was asked about the status of The Hunt for Ben Solo. “We tried to do one more, but they were like, ‘He’s dead,'" Driver said. "[Steven] Soderbergh was going to do it. We worked on it for three years. Seriously and earnestly for two years. We got a script together that was really good with Scott Burns, Rebecca Blunt, and Soderbergh and I. It was really awesome.”
Driver added, “It’s over…. If they wanted too, fine. But it’s not our call.”
While Driver’s comments have saddened many desperate to see The Hunt for Ben Solo come to life, Star Wars fans should not lose hope entirely.
The Hunt For Ben Solo Will Probably Be Subsumed By Episode X
Simon Kinberg was hired by Lucasfilm to write a trilogy of new Star Wars films, which Kathleen Kennedy described as a new saga for the franchise. Recently, Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts was brought on board to direct the first of these Star Wars movies, which the trades have reported will serve as Episode X.
The news that Lucasfilm is gearing up to make a sequel trilogy to the sequel trilogy bodes well for Ben Solo fans and less well for those wishing to see The Hunt for Ben Solo as it was originally envisioned by Driver and Soderbergh. At this point, The Hunt for Ben Solo is highly unlikely to be made, as creating an off-shoot of the new saga focused on one of the previous trilogy’s most popular characters doesn’t make a ton of sense.
However, plot elements and characters from The Hunt for Ben Solo could very likely make their way into Episode X. Similar to reporting surrounding the long-gestating New Jedi Order movie, The Hunt for Ben Solo could be subsumed by Episode X, which would serve as a grander story pulling together strands from various other post-sequel trilogy projects in development.
Episode X Has To Feature Ben Solo To Make It A Fulfilling Star Wars Saga Movie
The Hunt for Ben Solo being subsumed by Episode X seems like a safe bet, as Lucasfilm would arguably be missing out if the franchise didn't bring back Adam Driver’s fan-favorite character. If revived, Ben Solo would be the only living member of the Skywalker lineage by blood. This means his absence from Episode X would mark the film as the first Skywalker Saga film not to feature a Skywalker by blood.
Thematically and narratively, Rey’s story is inextricably tied to Ben Solo as the two share a strong connection in the Force that Episode IX termed a “dyad.” The two have a will-they-won’t-they romantic connection throughout the trilogy, only to share one single kiss before Ben met his demise. There is a lot of rich dramatic and emotional material between Rey and Ben to mine here, and it seems likely that Episode X will take advantage of fan demand to see more of these beloved characters together.
Ultimately, it appears the ship has sailed on The Hunt for Ben Solo, but this doesn’t mean elements of the story won’t stay afloat. With Episode X in active development at Disney and Lucasfilm, Ben Solo’s return to Star Wars feels more inevitable than ever, just not in the way Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh initially conceived it.
Created by George Lucas
First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
TV Show(s) The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
Movie(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Character(s) Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
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