“Star Wars” fans have launched a campaign to pressure Disney CEO Bob Iger to bring Adam Driver’s vision for a film to life. Days after one fan rented a plane to fly over Disney Studios in California, another purchased a billboard in Times Square in support of the film.
The billboard in question was placed at 1500 Broadway, between 43rd and 44th above Carlo’s Bake Shop and read: “For Adam. No one is ever really gone. Hope lives. Ben is alive! #THBS” – a reference to Luke Skywalker’s line in “The Last Jedi”, Driver’s character Ben Solo, and the film’s potential name, “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
The person behind the billboard is BD Neagle, who told Collider: “I’m just a fan who thought Ben’s story wasn’t over. I wanted to do what I could to support the fandom and everyone who is attached to ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’ If they could bring Palpatine back with just one line, there are plenty of ways Ben could come back that already fit the Star Wars story.
Driver first mentioned a potential film in an interview with the Associated Press.
“I always wanted to do another Star Wars,” he said. “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen (Kennedy) had contacted me. I always said: with a great director and a great story, I would be there in a second. I loved this character and I loved playing him.”
Driver even presented his idea to Steven Soderbergh, who wanted to direct. He and Rebecca Blunt outlined the story and presented it to Kennedy as well as Lucasfilm vice president Carrie Beck and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni. This group also liked the idea and Scott Z. Burns came on board to write a script.
Unfortunately, Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman weren’t as enthusiastic.
“We pitched the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said. “We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that’s it.”
“It was called ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ and it was really cool,” Driver added. “But that’s not the case anymore, so I can finally talk about it.”
