Steve Soderbergh Says It’s ‘Insane’ Disney Rejected His Star Wars

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A new Star Wars movie is heading to theaters this year, marking the first in seven years. Since The Rise of Skywalker came out, many different Star Wars projects were announced, but most were canceled or stalled indefinitely – including a planned trilogy from Rian Johnson, a film by the creators of Game of Thrones, a Star Wars movie from Kevin Feige, and Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, among others.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unannounced movies. Many more projects likely went unmentioned. Recently, we found out about one of these hidden films: Adam Driver shared that he and director Steven Soderbergh secretly worked for years on a movie focusing on his Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren (also known as Ben Solo).

In a recent interview with BKMag, director Steven Soderbergh described the project as a labor of love, explaining that he, Adam, and writer Rebecca Blunt worked on it without pay for two and a half years.

He added…

I told Adam that if he spoke about it publicly, he should stick to the facts and avoid offering opinions or guesses about the reasons behind it. He should simply state what happened, because that’s all we knew. The official explanation was that they didn’t believe Ben Solo could still be alive, and that was the extent of the information we received. There wasn’t anything more we could do, so we had to accept it and move forward.

Soderbergh also revealed that Disney never even asked him “What is this going to cost?”

“It never even got to that point,” he added. “It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed.”

As a longtime fan of both film and director Steven Soderbergh, I was surprised Disney turned down his idea. While he’s had major successes like the Ocean’s and Magic Mike films, his creative choices can be unconventional, and that might not fit with what Disney expects from a Star Wars movie.

However, Adam Driver was also involved, and many fans loved his portrayal of Kylo Ren in the recent Star Wars films. It’s surprising to me that they wouldn’t consider making another Star Wars movie with him.

Disney’s next Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is set to release in theaters on May 22nd.

20 Actors You Forgot Were in Star Wars

Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn, a well-known actor from science fiction classics like The Terminator and Aliens, appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. He played Lang, a tough mercenary working for Morgan Elsbeth. Eventually, his character met his end at the hands of the Mandalorian – a common fate for guest actors on TV shows.

Jack Black (and Lizzo!)

One of the most unexpected cameos ever in Star Wars happened in Season 3 of The Mandalorian. When Mando and his team landed on the planet Plazir-15, they discovered it was governed by none other than Jack Black and Lizzo! While some might find the casting a bit of a distraction, the two certainly fit the roles of quirky space leaders.

Rose Byrne

Before becoming famous in movies like Insidious and Bridesmaids, Rose Byrne had a small, uncredited role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. She appeared as one of Senator Amidala’s handmaidens in an early scene, and doesn’t exactly look overjoyed to be there.

Jodie Comer

Fans who watched the quick glimpse of Rey’s difficult childhood in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may have recognized Jodie Comer, known from Killing Eve, as her mother. Rey’s father, Dathan, is connected to Emperor Palpatine, and Comer’s character, Miramir, married him despite his family’s evil legacy. It seems she has a knack for choosing questionable partners!

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is a prominent figure in the world of Star Wars. He created the hit series The Mandalorian and even provided the voice for the character Pre Vizsla. Before that, in the year leading up to The Mandalorian’s debut, he voiced Rio, a member of Tobias Beckett’s crew. While Rio’s story didn’t have a happy ending, Favreau’s involvement with Star Wars continues – he’s now writing and directing a feature film centered around The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Several well-known actors have also contributed to the animated Star Wars stories. Many fans who only watch the live-action films and shows might be surprised to learn that Sarah Michelle Gellar, famous for playing Buffy, provided the voice for the villain Seventh Sister in season two of Star Wars Rebels. She appeared in six episodes and delivered a compelling performance as the Inquisitor – it’s worth checking out her work on the show!

Keira Knightley

Just in case you’ve forgotten, the plot of The Phantom Menace relies on Queen Amidala cleverly disguising herself. She uses look-alikes – handmaidens who resemble her perfectly – to fool everyone. For a lot of the movie, Jedi and young Anakin interact with one of these handmaidens, Padmé, without realizing Padmé is actually the queen. (She wanted to connect with regular people!) Meanwhile, another handmaiden is pretending to be the queen, and that role was played by a young Keira Knightley before she became famous in Pirates of the Caribbean. They really did look alike at that age.

John Leguizamo

You wouldn’t be alone if you missed actor John Leguizamo in an episode of The Mandalorian’s second season, “The Marshal.” He played the character Gor Koresh, a bit of a troublemaker, and was almost unrecognizable with green skin, a combover, a potbelly, and only one eye. He clashed with Mando over the bounty hunter’s beskar armor.

Christopher Lloyd

Wow, it’s Christopher Lloyd! He recently made a guest appearance on The Mandalorian in Season 3, Episode 6, “Guns For Hire.” He played Commissioner Helgait, the head of security on the planet Plazir-15, which is governed by Lizzo and Jack Black. Din Djarin and his allies uncovered Helgait’s plot and brought peace back to the planet. It was a memorable week for the show, wasn’t it?

Tim Meadows

Season 3 of The Mandalorian really delivered with some surprising cameos! In the episode “The Pirate,” Tim Meadows, known from Saturday Night Live, showed up as Colonel Tuttle, a New Republic official who doubts Carson Teva’s concerns about the Empire potentially rising again after Return of the Jedi. Honestly, the idea of Palpatine coming back is just absurd, isn’t it? Seriously, how could that even happen?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the hit musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, initially worked with Star Wars by writing a song for Maz Kanata’s cantina in The Force Awakens. As a thank you, he received a small on-screen role in The Rise of Skywalker. You can see him briefly during the celebration after the final battle, in the scene where Rose hugs Chewbacca.

Simon Pegg

You might not know this, but the actor who played Unkar Plutt – the junk dealer in the Star Wars films who barters with Rey – is Simon Pegg, famous for his roles in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Interestingly, Pegg actually suggested a scene where his character confronts Rey about the Millennium Falcon. They even filmed it, but it didn’t make the final cut. The scene was quite intense – Chewbacca stepped in and ripped off Unkar Plutt’s arm! That’s a significant injury – about a quarter of his body!

Stephen Root

The show The Book of Boba Fett also featured some unexpected celebrity appearances. In the third episode, “The Streets of Mos Espa,” Boba Fett met a water seller named Lortha Peel, who needed help with a gang that was stealing from him. Instead of simply eliminating the gang, Boba gave them employment and then held Peel accountable for charging high prices. The role of Peel was played by Stephen Root, a familiar face from shows like NewsRadio and movies such as Dodgeball, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Office Space. Perhaps if Peel had offered Boba Fett his red stapler as a gift, he would have been more willing to help with the gangsters!

George Takei

George Takei is practically synonymous with Star Trek; he famously played Lieutenant (and later Captain) Sulu in many episodes and all six of the original Star Trek movies. While the Star Trek and Star Wars universes rarely overlap, Takei actually lent his voice to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, playing the alien general Lok Durd. It was a surprising appearance!

Sophie Thatcher

Remember those gangsters Stephen Root’s character wanted to eliminate in The Book of Boba Fett? One of them was played by Sophie Thatcher, who you might recognize from Yellowjackets, as well as the horror films Heretic and Companion. It would have been really cool if she’d played a character like Black Krrsantan instead.

Justin Theroux

In The Last Jedi, the Resistance tries to enlist the help of a skilled codebreaker, portrayed by Benicio del Toro. However, their initial target is a stylish man with a distinctive white suit and black streak in his hair, played by Justin Theroux of The Leftovers. Rose and Finn are arrested before they can convince him to join their side, and the character is never even given a name in the film. He’s only known as “Master Codebreaker” by fans online, and reports suggest Justin Theroux was cast in the role just one day before filming began.

Danny Trejo

The latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett ends with Boba Fett winning a fight against two Hutt twins, who then give him a rancor as a peace offering. Veteran actor Danny Trejo, known for his tough-guy roles in films like Heat, xXx, and many Robert Rodriguez movies – including Desperado, Grindhouse, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids, and Machete – plays the handler for the rancor. And who directed this episode? Robert Rodriguez, of course!

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver is an actor known for his roles in shows like Lost and Sons of Anarchy. He’s particularly famous for playing the lead in the Bosch and Bosch: Legacy detective series. More recently, he appeared in the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian’s third season, in the episode “The Heiress,” playing an Imperial Captain who works with the villain Moff Gideon. (For fun, let’s call his character Captain B’Osch!)

Dominic West

Before becoming famous as Detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire, Dominic West had a small role in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He appears as one of the palace guards during the scene where Anakin visits Padmé. You can briefly see him when Anakin is stopped at the door – that’s Dominic West, long before he was McNulty!

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2026-02-19 00:59