Soderbergh vs. Disney: Who Ya Got?
An unlikely rift has formed in the movie community.
Sides have been drawn between the most powerful studio and a revered director.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
Steven Soderbergh apparently handed Disney a marvelous script, which isn’t the surprising part.
No, the shocker here is that Disney said no to an Academy Award-winning director…on a Star Wars film!
Photo: Pexel.com
So, who ya got, Disney or Soderbergh? Let’s talk about a movie that needs to be made.
A Secret Revealed
On October 20th, actor Adam Driver revealed a previously hidden secret.
The Star Wars actor who had previously played Ben Solo in the latest trilogy was ready to make a sequel.
Driver’s character would have worked on his redemption arc in the aftermath of Kylo Ren.
Those of you who remember the ending of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker know the deal here.
The son of Han Solo and (Princess) Leia Organa had been seduced to the Dark Side by Snoke.
In a somewhat controversial decision, Kylo Ren betrayed Snoke and assassinated his boss.
In the process, Ren became the Supreme Leader of the First Order, but he wanted to share the role.
Ren asked Rey, a powerful wielder of The Force, to join him. She refuses, and they fight.
Lucas films
At some point, we learn that Rey is the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine.
She dies in battle, but Ren brings her back to life, which Wikipedia indicates leads to a strange scenario.
Lucas films
Kylo Ren becomes a part of The Force, a statement which reinforces why I’ll never care about Star Wars.
Anyway, that sure seems like the end of the line for one Ben Solo, while Rey’s future seemed bright.
Photo: Disney
Having brought down The First Order, Rey earned honorary Skywalker status.
More importantly, she appears to be the most powerful person in the universe.
Getty
So, we’ve all been expecting a standalone Rey Skywalker movie for…a while.
While that project continues to spin its wheels, Driver was apparently working on something better.
Logan Lucky
He enlisted Soderbergh’s help on a project so secret nobody even knew about it until October 20th. The actor and director had already teamed up on the wildly entertaining Logan Lucky.
Now, they had a chance to play in the Star Wars sandbox.
Disney Said No!
Photo: Wikipedia
Since I’ve been covering Hollywood since the 1990s, very little surprises me.
Here’s an instance that caused me to raise an eyebrow. This one is new, even at Lucasfilm.
Walt Disney Company
As MickeyBlog discussed, a confused Soderbergh pressed the company for an explanation.
From his perspective, he had written a very good script for a greenlighted project.
Credit: Disney
And from the perspective of Star Wars fans, a Soderbergh story would be a dream come true.
We’re talking about the mastermind behind Ocean’s 11, The Limey, and Out of Sight.
(Photo by Beata Siewicz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
He also helmed Magic Mike, Erin Brockovich, Contagion, and Traffic, among others.
I listed the first three because those films all finished in my top three for their years of release.
Logo
I may not love Star Wars, but I’m a Soderbergh superfan. His presence alone would make me watch a Kylo Ren movie.
Let me tell you that Soderbergh is pretty much the only thing that would get me to do that, too.
(Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
I’ve liked exactly three Star Wars movies out of all the ones made so far.
Soderbergh is also a proven box office draw, with the Ocean’s franchise and Magic Mike excelling.
Walt Disney Company
This should have been a dream scenario for Disney, so what went wrong?
Driver has no idea, describing the story as “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.”
Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Studio Canal)
Even Lucasfilm sounds confused. Soderbergh asked if Disney had ever rejected a project.
“I asked Kathy Kennedy if (Lucasfilm) had ever turned in a finished movie script for greenlight to Disney and had it rejected…She said no, this was a first.”
(Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
So, the blame here clearly resides at the top of Disney’s food chain.
Also, if I’m Soderbergh or Driver, it’d be hard not to take this personally. They’re one of one!
Soderbergh vs. Disney
Photo: Disney
I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist, but I think this one’s pretty clear.
Driver and Soderbergh didn’t leak this story accidentally. They’re applying pressure.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Lucasfilm, may have even given her blessing.
After all, either Alan Bergman or Bob Iger or both torpedoed a Go project.
That’s rather discourteous to Kennedy, as it negates any power she may have in her own fiefdom.
As a reminder, rumors have circulated all year that she’s got one foot out the door.
Credit: Disney
This story won’t help any with the perception that she’s just playing out the string.
Meanwhile, the leak gives Star Wars fans another reason to lament Disney’s caretaking.
Disney
Fans already rant and rave about the quality of the most recent trilogy.
Should you dare to mention most of the Disney+ series, you’ll regret it, as they’re livid about some shows.
Disney
Right now, Andor and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are the only projects with universal acclaim.
Do you know what Star Wars fans would rally around? A Ben Solo redemption arc story by Steven Soderbergh!
I’m on Team Soderbergh
The Walt Disney Company
This is so much of a layup it borders on a gift. So, the fact that Disney rejected it is puzzling.
Two of the people most confused are the would-be director and lead actor in the project.
Credit: Disney
Disney just effectively reneged on a greenlit project with Steven freakin’ Soderbergh.
For the studio to do this, the studio must have complete faith in The Mandalorian & Grogu and everything after it.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
Even then, a Soderbergh film would have attracted non-Star Wars fans on top of the ravenous target audience.
Petitions are circulating for Disney to reconsider, and they already have thousands of signatures.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
This whole thing strikes me as an easy win for Disney and an excellent batch of free PR.
Will Bergman and Iger agree? All signs point to no, which just makes the whole thing stranger.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
With Star Wars at a crossroads right now, I’m genuinely confused why Disney is rejecting a good Soderbergh story.
Stay tuned, as I doubt we’ve heard the last of this very odd and now public dispute.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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Feature Photo: (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
