If you were hoping for the possibility of an extended director’s cut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, then I’m afraid J.J. Abrams has some bad news for you.
“There will be deleted scenes, but not an extended version,” Abrams told Entertainment Weekly. “I don’t know what the longest cut was. Probably, if it were with credits, close to two hours and 50 minutes was the first cut.”
So, that’s around 35 minutes of footage on the cutting room floor, including scenes of Constable Zuvio on Jakku, and Maz Kanata as the Resistance base, as glimpsed in the trailer where she presents Leia with Luke’s old lightsaber.
SEE ALSO: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray and DVD release date set for April
Star Wars: The Force Awakens sees J.J. Abrams directing returning stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), KennyBaker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), in addition to Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year), Andy Serkis (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Silent Witness), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Ken Leung (Lost), Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones), Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), Jessica Henwick (Spirit Warriors), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day), Simon Pegg (Star Trek) and newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen.
Originally published January 10, 2016. Updated March 2, 2020.
