Despite director JJ Abrams declaring that the recentStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerwould be the last we would hear of the decade-spanning Skywalker saga, it seems that fans are not yet satisfied. Much like the ongoing call for the release of the mythical Zack Snyder Cut of theJustice Leaguemovie,Star Warsfans have now started a petition requesting that Disney release the rumored 3+ hour JJ Abrams cut ofRise of Skywalker.
According to a recent thread on Reddit, the version of the movie that audiences got to see on the big screen was not the version thatJ.J. Abramshad originally intended. A mysterious insider has claimed that Abrams’Rise of Skywalkerwas a 3+ hour long epic, and that some major story beats and scenes were cut from the movie by Disney without the director’s consent or knowledge. The thread then goes into full-on ‘conspiracy theory’ mode, claiming that the cuts were carried out by Disney in order to keep Abrams from going to Warner Bros. studios and directing any projects for DC, thus limiting the competition for Disney and their Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So, the new fan-led petition for#ReleaseTheJJCuthas been created in response to what they believe was malicious, spiteful behavior from Disney that had an overwhelmingly detrimental effect on the finalStar Warsmovie. The current petition for theRise of SkywalkerAbrams cut suggests that the missing scenes include much stronger LGBTQ+ representation, lots more cameos by stars from the previous films and a much more satisfying ending. Of course, despite there being no way of definitively verifying these claims, currently, over 6,500 people have signed the petition, with the stated goal being 7500 signatures total.
Expect to hear a lot more about this petition going forward if theSnyder Cutis anything to go by. This is also far from the only alternate version ofRise of Skywalkerdoing the rounds, with original director Colin Treverrow’sDuel of Fatesalso getting a lot of traction lately.
TheRise of Skywalkerthat audiences did see begins with the discovery that theevil Emperor Palpatine did not dieat the hands of Darth Vader, forcing the rebels to race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order’s plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong' o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The fan-led petition can be found atChange.org, whilst the thread that inspired it can be found atDisney Star Wars is Dumb.
