Actor Adam Driver may have said that the “ship has sailed” on “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” the “Star Wars” movie that he created with Steven Soderbergh, but it seems that Disney’s decision to scrap the movie based on his character has forever altered the trajectory of his Hollywood career. In a recent interview promoting his new crime drama “Paper Tiger,” Driver revealed that he and several others have created their own production company to “make ambitious films at moderate cost with shared equity.”
Adam Driver Talks ‘Criminal’ Cancellation Of ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo’
Even though Driver is understandably frustrated by Disney’s decision to cancel his “Star Wars” movie after two years of work, he doesn’t seem to hold any bad blood with the studio, as he is making his MCU debut as Nathaniel Milbury/Mister Sinister when the “X-Men” reboot hits theaters in 2028.
Still, in an interview with Jake Coyle of The Associated Press, the “House of Gucci” actor called Disney’s decision to scrap the movie “criminal.”
“For me it was: Steven Soderbergh wants to make a ‘Star Wars’ film,” Driver said before asking, “What are we debating?”
“It’s what it is. It’s criminal. Or it felt criminal,” he added. “We’re all moving on. On to the next. And Steven already has something else that’s one of the best things he’s ever written.”
Driver Praised The Fan Reaction To His ‘Star Wars’ Movie
When the news broke that Driver’s “Star Wars” movie had been shut down in October 2025, fans immediately leaped into action. Rented Times Square billboards called for Ben Solo’s return, and someone even flew a plane over the Disney lot in Burbank, California.
“I was blown away by the response to it. In no way did I think there would be billboards in Times Square,” Driver said. “It’s so moving. It did feel like we were all at the bar having a conversation about the films we wanted to see.”
Driver previously praised the fan reaction during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, stating, “The fans’ response to it, though, was pretty incredible.”
“I didn’t expect that it was going to be billboards and people flying planes and things like that,” he added. “That was pretty cool.”
Adam Driver Shares A Few Details About His Production Company
Although he didn’t share many details about his production company, he did reveal that he will be working with filmmakers like Jeff Nichols, with whom he previously collaborated on “Midnight Special.” The production company’s goal is to “make ambitious films at modest costs with shared equity.”
Still, Driver compared an actor with a production company to “an actor with a guitar at drama school” and openly wondered if they would only develop ideas “that someone will say no to,” likely in another reference to the fate of “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
Part of Driver’s decision seems to be influenced by how some of the filmmakers he most admires, like James Gray, struggle to get their films financed by Hollywood.
“When there are directors who can’t get their movie made, it’s like: Why doesn’t someone give Coppola a blank check to do what he wants?” Driver asked. “But it doesn’t work that way, and less and less does it work that way because people are so risk-averse and like to quote metrics based on the most recent thing that made money.”
Adam Driver Says He Has To ‘Figure Out A Way To Game The System’
Driver went on to discuss the challenges of navigating Hollywood and admitted he has to find a way to “game the system.”
“It’s a reactionary business, as I’m learning. So I just have to figure out a way to game the system. And it seems like it’s about not making money,” Driver said. “If you can just do things that don’t pay you, then you’ll get the thing you want made.”
He went on to explain that “Paper Tiger,” which featured some A-list Hollywood talent, still struggled to find a buyer, even though it was made for only $15 million and was backed by 24 credited executive producers.
“Even with Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller. It was not made for a lot of money. James rose above that in his filmmaking and made it look really great,” Driver said. “But it’s absurd to me. It really sucks.”
Adam Driver Is Drawn To Character-Driven Roles
Elsewhere in the interview, he praised director Francis Ford Coppola and the lessons he learned from “Megalopolis.”
“I needed to be reminded of how unprecious it is,” Driver said. “Film is so permanent. You have to be so prepared that you’re not prepared when you walk on set. I tried not to get strapped down with: Well, this character would never do that.”
One reason he was drawn to Gary in “Paper Tiger” was that the character was more similar to where he is in his life now.
“There was a confidence where I felt I didn’t have to think about overdoing it or making it unique, just thinking: Do I believe it or not?” Driver explained. “That’s really the only metric I should be going off of.”
“I spent a lot of time in my 30s, luckily, playing characters that felt very far from me,” Driver continued, citing characters like Enzo Ferrari and Kylo Ren as two examples. “I started wanting to play characters closer to me.”
“Paper Tiger” is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on November 13, followed by a wider distribution on November 20.
