Release the Extended Cut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

With domestic box office rocketing toward $1 billion in revenues and breaking records left and right, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an undeniable cinematic powerhouse in the ledgers of Hollywood accountants. Disney has delivered the goods and created one of the most unforgettable film experiences of the decade.

That fanfare is loud and without end, but amid the din of the fans, there’s a general consensus among both the film’s (many) supporters and (apparently few) detractors that too many question marks were left in the resulting cut that were unnecessary and caused confusion.

What we’re referring to aren’t the question marks that drive the story through a trilogy. Rey’s parentage, Luke’s exile, the origins of Snoke – all of these things are cliffhanger question marks that should be part of any multi-part saga.

No, the questions raised have to do with plot holes that scenes were allegedly shot to explain, but were then cut by overly-energized scissors in the editing sessions. Never after a film’s release have there been so many news stories with the headline, “Director explains [blank],” until now. The Force Awakens has resulted in an almost satirical amount of these news stories, reinforcing the concerns of the audience about the number of question marks in the final picture.

Director J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan have admitted in interviews they argued (in a friendly way) over the removal of shot material during the editing process, with Kasdan asserting that the removal of certain lines of dialogue would cause confusion, and The Force Awakens does have a severe lack of needed exposition.

Scenes cut which explain Leia’s role in the formation of the Resistance and the current status of the Republic need to be reinstated to provide crucial context for what has transpired on a galactic scale in the 33 years since the events of Return of the Jedi. Scenes that expand on C-3PO’s role in preparing BB-8 for his mission and trying to wake up R2-D2 would give plot elements in the film the plausibility they very much need.

Scenes of Finn hitching a ride across the desert, Constable Zuvio on Jakku, the additional scenes with the excellent Maz Kanata character returning with the Resistance all serve to bolster the logic of the film’s many movements. The snowspeeder chase, which made its way into licensed products, would put to rest the question of how a wounded Kylo Ren can instantly teleport thousands of yards from the base into the woods in front of the fleeing heroes. And if there is more to Leia’s exchange with Rey, it needs to be there to help us understand why Leia makes specific choices.

Abrams has said in many interviews on the subject that he doesn’t believe in Director’s Cuts, and if Disney is committed to that courtesy and not doing an Extended Cut, then so be it. However, in a number of cases, Extended Cuts have been loved and lauded by the buying public, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings being the most comparable example. It’s clear from the box office numbers that fans of The Force Awakens wouldn’t be upset with an extended cut to enjoy, and with seamless branching technology, both could be provided on the same disc, not that we wouldn’t double-dip to have both theatrical and extended Blu-Ray editions.

Please consider having discussions with Abrams and Bad Robot on this possibility. While Abrams is devoted to his “mystery box” filmmaking, a wait of 33 years should be rewarded with some context, something to settle the viewer into the new landscape. There’s too much we are forced to take for granted simply because existing scenes were excised.

A Star Wars film that begins with question marks instead of orienting the audience, and ends with a pile of new question marks on top of the initial question marks with little to nothing being answered is unexpected…and unfortunate, but from everything we know, it doesn't have to remain this way.

Thank you for considering this appeal. 

P.S. - If you ever get around to restoring the theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars films, that would be awesome too.