Rian Johnson Wants Adam Driver's 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' as Much as Fans Do [Exclusive]

It’s been a turbulent month for Star Wars fans — but at least one filmmaker from the galaxy far, far away is standing firmly with them. During a Collider-hosted Q&A for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Rian Johnson reacted to the ongoing fan campaign to revive The Hunt for Ben Solo, the somehow-not-developing sequel that would have followed Adam Driver’s redeemed Jedi after The Rise of Skywalker. Johnson, who directed The Last Jedi and has remained publicly supportive of Driver’s work, told Collider’s Steve Weintraub:

“Take my money! I only know what I read about it online. I didn’t know anything about it, but who knows how things are developed these days? But man, I will watch Driver in anything, but I would love to see him play that character again.”

Johnson’s reaction comes amid a surge of fan-led activism around the canceled project — a grassroots movement that’s become one of the most passionate fan campaigns since the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut era. Though he’s been entrenched in the world of murder mysteries as of late, Johnson’s time on Star Wars is still prevalent in his work. During the Q&A, he also revealed an Easter Egg featured in his Knives Out franchise, saying, “Oh, and in Dan’s computer thing, all the little Funko things. There’s definitely a Rey and Kylo in there somewhere.”

The Hunt for Ben Solo project, revealed by Driver in an interview last month, was reportedly co-developed with Steven Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt, later joined by Scott Z. Burns. The film was meant to explore Ben’s life and redemption after The Rise of Skywalker, with Driver describing it as “one of the coolest [expletive] scripts I had ever been a part of.” Though Lucasfilm executives reportedly loved the idea, Disney’s top brass — including Bob Iger and Alan Bergman — passed on it, questioning how Ben Solo could still be alive. Yes, they questioned how a space wizard could still be alive.

How Are Fans Reacting to The Hunt for Ben Solo?

Since then, fans have rallied behind the project, holding demonstrations and digital campaigns demanding Disney revive it. The most visible protest yet took place this week, when a Rey cosplayer stood outside Walt Disney Studios holding a “BRING BACK BEN SOLO” sign, in an echo of the now-legendary Coyote vs. Acme protest outside Warner Bros. The fan movement’s message has been clear: hope, redemption, and accountability.

Last week’s rally in New York drew out fans outside of Disney HQ. Organizer Lauren told Collider afterward, “Ultimately, the legacy of Star Wars has always been hope, and today we carried that hope. Death robs redemption of accountability. Bring back Ben Solo. For the Skywalkers. For the Sequels. For Star Wars.”

Earlier this month, a plane towing a “SAVE THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO” banner flew over Disney’s Burbank lot, while a digital billboard lit up Times Square with the same call to action. Johnson’s public support will hopefully add some more momentum to the cause and, as the director of the best of the three sequel movies — yes, we said what we said — it will bring some legitimacy too.

Whether Disney listens remains to be seen — but as Johnson put it best: take our money. Stay tuned to Collider for more on the hunt to save Ben Solo.