In late 2025, Adam Driver revealed that he had been working with director Steven Soderbergh on a “Star Wars” movie that was titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo.” The movie would have featured his character, Ben Solo, who was launched because the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia in 2015’s “The Drive Awakens.” Nevertheless, he handed away on the finish of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” Even so, Driver felt he had unfinished enterprise with the character and spent just a few years growing a script with Soderbergh, who was set to direct. Sadly, Driver says Disney execs didn’t perceive how Ben Solo might nonetheless be alive and shut down the project. Though he was disenchanted that his movie didn’t come to fruition, Soderbergh has since revealed that the canceled challenge enabled him to pursue his personal ardour challenge.
On June 20, Soderbergh launched his app “Manufacturing 02074” on the Apple Retailer and is at present engaged on an Android model. The app is a compilation of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster hit “Jaws” and all of the work that went into making the film.
Whereas chatting with Deadline about his new app, Soderbergh revealed that he noticed “Jaws” over 30 instances in theaters, and the app is a love letter to probably the most groundbreaking movies of all time. The app contains pictures as Spielberg shot them, together with observations and anecdotes offered by Spielberg himself. The app prices $24.99, with all proceeds going to an animal charity.
Soderbergh Was In a position To End The Challenge As a result of ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ Received Axed
In the course of the dialog, Soderbergh admitted, “If Star Wars had gone ahead, this wouldn’t have gotten completed.”
He revealed that his plan to transition from a espresso desk e book to an app began straight after then-Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy known as him to inform him that they weren’t shifting ahead with Driver’s “Star Wars” movie.
“This was within the fast aftermath of that not taking place. I began in on a number of writing initiatives, to each see if I might generate materials to go and make as films but additionally simply to maintain myself occupied,” he mentioned. “And actually, as quickly as we bought the decision, ‘This isn’t taking place,’ I assumed, ‘OK, it’s time to actually sit down and get critical about ending this factor.’ Had I gone off and made that film, this factor wouldn’t have gotten carried out.”
Soderbergh Says That Everybody Has Since ‘Moved On’ From The Challenge
Earlier this yr, Adam Driver got rave reviews for his work on James Grey’s “Paper Tiger” on the Cannes Movie Pageant. It’s solely one in all many initiatives that the actor has lined up within the close to future.
Soderbergh admitted that though the choice to cancel the movie was “baffling,” he confessed, “All people simply instantly moved on.”
“I don’t burn lots of energy on sh-t I can’t management,” he defined. “There’s no upside to that. And in order quickly as Kathy [Kennedy] known as and mentioned, ‘It’s not taking place,’ I used to be like, ‘OK, shifting on. I bought to go to work.’”
Did Steven Soderbergh Throw Some Shade At Disney?
Elsewhere within the interview, they talked concerning the problem of reconciling studio and monetary expectations with a director’s imaginative and prescient. Soderbergh famous, “My response is, ‘Effectively, what do you count on? Why would you count on them to have the imaginative and prescient that you’ve got? In the event that they did, they’d be doing what you’re doing.’”
“I don’t count on enlightened visionary responses from the folks that pay for films. It’s a pleasant shock if you find yourself coping with a studio or an government that will get it and completely sees what you’re attempting to do, and is completely supportive and backs you in no matter request you make. However I don’t count on that because the default,” Soderbergh mentioned.
He didn’t point out any studio or government particularly, however some followers can’t assist however marvel if Soderbergh’s remark was directed at Disney for shutting down his “Star Wars” movie, or on the business typically.
Soderbergh Emphasizes Not ‘Mulling Over Stuff You Can’t Management’
Elsewhere within the interview, Soderbergh made one other doable cross at Disney when he mentioned that he “would relatively encourage a filmmaker to be ready for folks to not perceive at instances what you’re attempting to do, and never see it till they see it.”
“That doesn’t imply you possibly can’t belief folks. It simply means, don’t count on everyone to really feel about it the best way you are feeling about it. Otherwise you’re going to be disenchanted so much,” he continued.
Nevertheless, he went on to say that “disappointment will not be an lively state,” including, “It’s essential to maintain your self in an lively state and be doing issues, not simply type of mulling over stuff you could’t management, or that’s too late to alter. It’s a must to perceive that you’ve got a finite quantity of actual property in your mind to present to no matter you’re making. It’s essential to be ruthless about excluding noise that doesn’t in the end enable you make a greater model of the factor.”
‘Megalopolis’ Additionally Starred Adam Driver
In the course of the interview, Deadline introduced up Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis” for example of somebody who didn’t need to have any regrets about making their accomplished challenge true to their imaginative and prescient. Sarcastically, the 2024 movie additionally starred Adam Driver in the principle function.
Soderbergh used the instance to encourage aspiring filmmakers to “be any person who finishes issues” as a result of “ending one thing that’s okay however not nice is best than not ending one thing that would have been nice.”
“I’m an actual stickler about that, and that is an instance, 19 years basically from starting to finish on this challenge. If I determine to begin, it’s going to get carried out,” he continued. “It might not be excellent, however I can’t consider a single challenge that I’ve assigned to myself or that any person has assigned to me that I’ve not accomplished.”
“Manufacturing 02074” is at present obtainable on the Apple Retailer, with an Android model anticipated within the coming weeks.
