UPDATE! J.J. Abrams Confirms no Extended Cut for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Possible new Dates on the Blu-Ray/DVD Release.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, director J.J. Abrams confirmed that there will not be an extended cut of The Force Awakens. Also new listings on Amazon suggest that TFA Blu-Ray/DVD will be released on June 30…
Some directors like Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson often deliver extended cuts for their movies when released on Blu-Ray. J.J. Abrams on the other hand was never fan of this, and he never did something like that for his previous projects. Thus it was not surprising when The Force Awakens director confirmed that the home release of the movie will have deleted scenes but not an extended cut.
From EW:
“There will be deleted scenes, but not an extended version,” Abrams told us after the panel for his upcoming Hulu series 11.22.63 at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills on Saturday.
We also asked what the longest cut of the film was before he edited it down to two hours and 16 minutes for theatrical release.
“I don’t know what the longest cut was,” Abrams said. “Probably, if it were with credits, close to two hours and 50 minutes was the first cut.”
Speaking of Blu-Rays, there is a new listing on Amazon France (the same place that leaked the full track list of The Force Awakens soundtrack) which says that the movie will be released on Blu-Ray/DVD on June 30th. This date makes much more sense than the previous rumor for an April release. Most of the time the Blu-Rays/DVDs are realesed 5 months after the theatrical premiere. April seems too soon – only 4 months after the movie was released.
The UK Amazon also has a listing for TFA blu-ray release, but it doesn’t have a specific date. It just states that the movie will have a bonus disc, probably for the special features. Keep in mind that these listings not always mean something concrete, so until any official news is released by LFL or Disney, treat these as unconfirmed rumors.
Thanks to Le Jedi Lorrain for the heads up.
UPDATE!
One of our readers shared something interesting in the comments section. He said:
I went to Best Buy, and a few employees said the movie was due in April. I noticed a digital download thing and walked over to the service counter. The girl at the front looked on the computer and said they confirmed the release date on April 20.
So first we had the April 5th listing on Blu-ray.com (no longer available), then the June 30th from Amazon.fr, and now April 20th from Best Buy. The first possibility (April 5th) is too early – only 3 months after the release of the movie. On the other hand June 30th is too late, since this is almost 6 months after the movie’s premiere. As I mentioned above Disney releases almost all of their Marvel movies 5 months after the premiere.
The date April 20 seems most reasonable. It’s a little over 4 months since the premiere but will also put the movie out just before May the 4th. I really think Disney will want to release the movie before that date, especially if the rumor that the Rogue One trailer will be released around that time as well is true.
Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.
Born on April 24, 1980.
Jb hi fi here in Australia are still offering preorders for April
Bums me out a little bit… but at the same time I really only liked two of the scenes. So maybe it’s for the best. At least we get to see them.
At least we’re still getting deleted scenes. And we won’t have to debate which cut we feel is canon. 😉
Deleted scenes are always canon unless they contradict something else in canon.
Sometimes. We’ve seen examples in the past (Maybe, maybe not in SW) where this isn’t always the case…Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica DVD/BR release for example.
I mean within the Star wars canon.
I know. Just pointing that out. That said, I seem to recall a scene or two for RotS deleted scenes that fit the criteria for not being canon.
Of course, I could be wrong. It’s been a long time since I’ve dabbled in all the deleted scenes, admittedly.
Here’s an example that still raises questions.
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/3l4do9/jedi_shaak_tis_death/
What’s your take on the whole Shaak Ti situation, TUD?
It contradicts canon, therefore it’s non-canon. The other deleted scenes are still canon, though.
Well that’s some Bullshit!..
june the 30ty?! that’s hell too much time!
If it means it has enough time to beat Avatar as #1 movie worldwide i can live with that.
June 30 is clearly a place-holder. Last day of the month plus a Thursday
yeah- this site should know better- this is a classic blind repost situation. Its annoying and makes you question their credibility.
Payday !
@melbye:disqus I’d imagine Tuesday June 28th is the Blu-ray release date for the U.S. . I don’t see this movie come out of theaters any time soon anyway, because its doing so well they are going to want to keep it in theaters for a while because of that.
June 30 ? I can’t wait that long !
Boooo ! I was so looking forward to an extended version to have the full experience with added scenes possibly explaining more of the story, slowing down the pacing somewhat and generally giving the movie that bit more. What use are cut bits of scenes on a second disc ? Again disappointing…….
Queue the fan edits to acheive this. I’d like to see the film breathe a little more in it’s second half
I want it now!!
Good. Because the movie is just fine the way it is.
People want an extra 30 minutes of Finn cleaning toilets on Starkiller and getting bullied by Phasma, because apparently without it, his arc is a giant plothole, his character makes no sense and its impossible to know anything about him. Oh, but wait, we would also have another 30-40 minutes showing the FOURTEEN GODDAMN YEARS that Rey lived in Jakku, explicitly displaying she handling tools, learning to fix ships and other machinery for a few credits, having to fend off the occasional assholes and thieves, thus learning to defend herself in a brawl, and all the other things that surely would be part of the life of a scavanger in a shithole lake Jakku, but that without being shown in the screen, nobody should believe she could’ve that fairly normal skills, despite being just told that she lived AS A SCAVENGER IN JAKKU FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. And while at that, why not throw in somebody ostensively saying “Gee, Rey, you seems to be force sensitive”? Because, otherwise, it would be impossible, right?
Because God forbid the audience ever have to use their imagination or infer something by themselves or do anything more active than shovel fistfulls of popcorn into their fat stupid faces.
If you’re going to talk out of your ass to criticize others for wanting extra content, the least you could do is read up on what scenes were removed in the final cut. My suggestion, check out Foster’s novelization of TFA.
I have. I own it. Also the Audible.
Then don’t you see how a few scenes slowing the pacing, explaning the R2-D2-ex machina and explaining a bit more of the political background of the Resistance and New Republic could have helped the movie make a bit more sense?
Oh, that’s right! Darnit. 😉
I forget, I need to be spooned everything, and that I can’t figure it out on my own. What was I thinking?
“political background of the Resistance and New Republic”
Personally, I thought that the opening crawl explained it just fine. Told me everything that I was required to know, in order to move forward.
But…I guess some folks really miss those prequels, and all that damn sitting…and talking…and sitting…and talking. 😉
No, no sitting and talking. But how about a scene like the Korr Sella one that was filmed, one that explains how the Resistance is a splinter group secretly funded by the Republic, or how Leia is viewed as a crazy radical, or how the Republic and First Order have a peace treaty?
I’ll admit, I would have liked to have had the chance to met Korr Sella before showing her demise, but since we didn’t know that was her or who she was when we saw the film, I was fine just assuming she was some random emotional person watching her own impending doom.
Heh. I just like saying “Impending doom.” Say it. It’s fun.
Really? I don’t think you have a sense of why people want an extended edition, what the rumors are of what was cut out, what was not included from the novelization of TFA or how people feel about the quick nature of the last act and how it was cut.
Please, enlighten me about all the other extended editions of Star Wars that were released following a theatrical release, without resorting to claiming that GL’s Super-duper-uber-ultra-fantastic Extra Stuff so-you-can-feel-it Editions count as a “Director’s Cut”, or extended edition.
I’m well aware of all the stuff not shown in the film, that’s included in the novel and such. That’s the case with ALL of the SW novels. The film is fine as it is.
It is fine as it is. Its a good movie. But that doesn’t mean an extended edition couldn’t improve the film, fix the pacing issues and give some better understanding and emotional weight to the film. If you can’t see the difference between what people want with this film and what Lucas did with the OT and others than I don’t think there is anything more to say.
Obviously we disagree. I’ll move on now.
“fix the pacing issues and give some better understanding and emotional weight to the film”
Personally, I found those to be just right. But that’s me.
Moving on. Check. +1
So let them make an extended edition for those who desire that experience and you can keep watching a theatrical cut. To me, that was always the problem with Lucas. He demanded that his special editions be the definitive copy when he should have recognized how attached people would be to the original releases and released both film editions with every release. Hopefully Disney will eventually correct that.
Fine. But doesn’t that come across as a tiny bit contradictory? Theatrical this versus extended that? At any rate, I’m sure someday there will be a massive, definitive release of all the films in one neat package with the best versions included. That said, there will always be detractors for whatever is released in whatever form that it is released.
As for when Disney will be able to correct that…who knows. Still a lot of legalities involved. For the time being, even Disney’s hands are tied to an extent.
Exactly. Why can’t they do like with the Avatar Bluray. Include both versions then leave it to the indivdual to choose which version he likes. Technology is there to do it. What gets me is there are even toys (Lego etc) that are of bits cut out of the film ! Amazing I think. But who am I to think the fans could be given a choice….. we’ll get what we’re given and that’s it.
The first time you see it, it’s a lot to take in. Not nearly as much when you see it again.
Completely agree. Hence, why I’ve seen it 6 times…finding it to be a touch better each time. The 3rd time was the best – that’s when I finally had calmed down.
Saw it my 8th today.
Nice!
They said the blu-ray was due in April, not June.
Who are they?
I went to Best Buy, and a few employees said the movie was due in April. I noticed a digital download thing and walked over to the service counter. The girl at the front looked on the computer and said they confirmed the release date on April 20.
That sounds about right. Many people quote the post on Blu-ray.com as being a fact, which is as good as the one on Amazon.
@ViralHide:disqus The date that had previously been listed on Blu-ray.com, meaning ‘Tuesday April 5th’ was removed from there. I don’t remember how many days ago it had been removed from there, but that date is no longer listed on there.
I know, I mentioned that in the article above.
@ViralHide:disqus Oh, I see.
@ViralHide:disqus How come ‘April 20th’ isn’t listed on the Best Buy website if Ryan Miller went to a Best Buy and found out that ‘April 20th’ is the Blu-ray release date for Star Wars: The Force Awakens ?
And movies are released on Tuesdays in the US (April 19th). These dates are probably not 100% correct but there seems to be a consensus that the movie will be released in late April. Another member from Australia said they have the movie set for April 18th. Again, these are just rumors for now.
@ViralHide:disqus So you’re saying that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will most likely be released on Blu-ray in the U.S. on Tuesday April 19th ?
I don’t have info on that. I am just sharing what other people say, trying to figure out which will be date. If I knew, or had a hint, I would have let you know.
@ViralHide:disqus Oh, okay. I would imagine that ‘April 19th’ would be the date that it comes out on Blu-ray in the U.S., since most movies comes out on Blu-ray in the U.S. on Tuesdays. Unless, It comes out on Blu-ray a week earlier in the U.S. on Tuesday April 12th or a week later on Tuesday April 26th.
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus Is that the Blu-ray release date for the U.S. ?
Yes
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus How long ago was it that the person at the service counter of a Best Buy told you that the Blu-ray release date is Wednesday April 20th ?
It was a month ago.
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus Oh, I see. You don’t think that it was just a placeholder date ?
It might be. I don’t know.
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus If it does turn out to be a placeholder date for it, then I wonder when it would be released on Blu-ray. Any idea?
No idea.
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus Oh, okay.
@disqus_r22s80wVK5:disqus I’ve got a feeling that ‘April 20th’ is just a placeholder date, because movies come out Blu-ray mostly on Tuesdays, not on Wednesdays.
Can’t see Disney holding back the Rogue One teaser to coincide with TFA Blu-Ray release. Think we’ll see it drop towards the end of February/March, as TFA cinematic run comes to an end.
I think it’ll drop with Captain America: Civil War.
Yeah possibly. But I just can’t see Disney delaying a product that was originally supposed to be released back in December until then. Still think the teaser will drop before, with BTS footage released during the SW convention in July.
Maybe. Lucasfilm really wants to give Force time to breathe, so I could see them holding off on a Rogue One teaser. only time will tell.
Agreed. There is no rush to release a Rogue One teaser/trailer now. TFA did the work for it. The Star Wars market is now officially wide open, with half the work for SW:RO already done.
May-Jun timeframe seems about right.
starwarsnewsnet already got this wrong once, how about you just wait till an official press release?
Well, to be fair, the link IS for the release in FRANCE (as the article actually states)…where it is NOT uncommon for a DVD/BR release to be on a Thursday.
Which one we got wrong?
there was a post several weeks ago that cited information that you took from blu-ray.com saying the release date was in April.
there was a post sourced from blu-ray.com that said the blu-ray was coming out in april.
How do you know it was wrong? I agree that it’s doubtful since it was too early, but you never know. We just share the different possibilities. I don’t claim to have this info from a source or anything.
blu-ray.com doesn’t even have the article on their site anymore- actually they took it down almost immediatly.
April seems far more likely than late June if you look at most releases from Disney. Five months is the longest they’ve waited to release a Marvel film, while 4 is more common. June 30th would put it right in the middle of the summer movie season and could hinder sales. I’d guess an March/April release for digital with a blu-ray release to follow in April/May. The digital pre-orders state that it will be released spring 2016. That’s a big window but June 30 is definitely summer.
If they won’t release an extended version with the first dvd/blu-rey release then I just hope that there will never be an extended version, I don’t want them, a couple of years after I bought the dvd, to say: “here’s a new super-special edition of the movie!!” and than again the same in other 10 years or so, just so they can have easy money. I don’t want a special edition all over again xD
I don’t care how many special, extended, directors cut editions they release. Just as long as the original theatrical cut is still available.
Right? After all, isn’t THAT what SW fans have been begging for in the OT for years anyways?
Just seems a tad inconsistent to already be clamoring for an extended cut of a film that’s still in theaters, and hasn’t really had the time to be properly digested. Hell…in 5 years we MIGHT all see TFA as a masterpiece…or quite the opposite.
Most of us drank the Kool-Aid initially when TPM first came out, going back for repeat viewings in the theater, just as we are now. It was only after some time had passed that we realized that we had been duped.
Exactly. Take for example Empire. Most critics at the time considered it a crappy and inferior sequel to A New Hope. Only later did people start to consider it one of the greatest films of ALL TIME. Just goes to show how time can bring people to their senses.
Yep. ESB pissed a lot of people off when it initially came out. Hell, me and my brothers left the theater in tears, because Lucas had “destroyed” SW.
Obviously, we came around. 🙂
Obviosuly. One part of it was watching the movie as part of a trilogy. ESB ends on a cliff hangar, which would have been frustrating when you had to wait 3 years for the next movie. but now that the whole trilogy is on home video, the cliff hangar isn’t as significant. TFA is the same. It will shine best as one part of a trilogy, not as a stand-alone movie.
“It will shine best as one part of a trilogy, not as a stand-alone movie.”
Which is fine by me. It really had a difficult (if almost impossible) task of not only setting up the universe [again], bringing in a good mix of old and new characters, as well as setting up a general course for the new trilogy to steer. That…and staying well clear of the unloved PT.
If the next 2 movies can somehow get me to forget the Starkiller plot, then yes, it could very well stand as a great movie in part of a trilogy. Thats a tall order.
Basically the same thing most of the planet said after the release of ESB, with respect to the Vader/Luke revelation, Han in carbonite, and open downer ending.
The film as been around for less than a month…I have a feeling that history will judge it much kinder than some people’s snap reaction, and that it will stand the test of time.
Cliff hangar?
“first dvd/blu-REY release”
I see what you did there. 😉
A shame. I *like* extended editions. I like Star Wars. And I think TFA could possibly be improved depending on the scenes.
People will edit it and upload a hd extended edit to bit torrent I’m guessing
Abrams continues to talk sense.
“I just made the first good Star Wars movie since 1983, and you guys want a extended edition? How’d that work out for you last time? Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
He, unlike large parts of the Star Wars fandom, has learned from the mistakes of the past.
But ultimately, it’s DisneyLucasFilm that we should ask for an extended release, not JJ. He’s not as in charge of this, as some make him out to be.
Did he really say that?
Haha! No. I completely made that up, but that’s basically the jist of it. 😉
Personally, I am hoping for some nice, drawn out Senate debates! Possibly a CGI boulder in front of BB-8! One can hope!!!
Seriously, I am sure fans will splice the deleted scenes into the movie and make it available on the internet. This isn’t 1977 when people could not do this at home. I personally am not fond of there being multiple official versions of a movie.
If there were to be a “Special Edition”, I’d want t to be the opposite of the 1997 ones. Replace Snoke, Maz, and the rathtars with practical puppets and makeup.
Oh god, I hope not. Haha!
I was perfectly fine with Maz, and even Snoke. Snoke was a hologram, and quite dark. I’m sure we haven’t seen the full potential yet of that character.
He certainly looks better that the monkey faced old woman that played Palpatine the first time we glimpsed that character in ESB. 😉
That’s definitely true. Snoke and Maz weren’t horrendous AT ALL, I just think there were ways to make them practical effects that would make them mesh better with the rest of the movie.
Well, they did say that they tried Snoke practically, but it just wouldn’t work. I’ll trust in Serkis.
Then again, you may also remember how Snoke’s design kept being changed throughout filming and post-production, so it’s possible that they only did him in mo-cap due to time constraints. If you look at Snoke’s face, it’s very human in shape. I’ve seen crazier faces done in makeup before.
True, but the proportions may not work practically, as we know that he’s a bit over 7 feet tall. I suspect that Rian Johnson will give us a better idea – maybe he can figure something out that JJ and crew haven’t.
I do think it’s neat that Dave Filoni took one of those older Snoke designs for use as an Inquisitor, in Rebels. That guy just LOVES to recycle old concepts.
Snoke was a hologram, so if he looked a bit odd, he was a hologram. Maz looked fine to me.
Yup. That’s what I said. 😉
That’s a nice way to explain why he’ll look so much better in the next film.
And it works too. 🙂
If they can offer both the original and extended Avatar version in one BluRay release why can’t they for Star Wars ? Then both parties would be happy ?? I guess we just need to think JJ knows best, and take what we get. It’s just disappointing I think.
They will release the extended version in a year after we buy this one.
I’m not so sure that JJ is so in charge of this sort of thing as some are making him out to be. Ultimately, this stuff is up to Kennedy at LucasFilm, and the movie bosses at Disney. It’s pretty much out of JJ’s hands at this point – He’s just the public face of the film.
I hope they keep to the same designs as the previous 6 so they line up nice on a shelf.
They won’t.
There are a couple deleted scenes on Starkiller Base that I’m looking forward to…
1) The Snowspeeder chase
2) Kylo Ren boarding the Millennium Falcon
I also want to see the Korr sella scene and maybe that exchange between Kylo and Snoke about Vader failing due to sentiment.
The Kor Sella scene being cut seems like one of the biggest mistakes – it would have made the politics of the galaxy a little clearer as well as making it clear as to what and why the planets blown up were blown up. To say that it was removed to keep Leia’s entrance most powerful is so stupid. In twenty years time, noone will be going “Oh Leia’s back!”, she’ll just be another character in the story.
Today I watched for the 5th time in Theater TFA,and I noticed snow speederbike (speeder bike that LEGO gave us,but we have not seen it in the movie) it was in the back,when Rey and Finn entered base to it really belongs after scene they described as ”Speeder chase” I would love to see that
That seems to be one of the last scenes cut out the film, since it was in the visual dictionary, the novel, and the LEGO sets. Therefore, the VFX should probably be finished. You can expect the sequence to look great on that Blu-ray!
can we all agree that this blu ray is gonna look SO GOOD?!?!
SO GOOD.
How is the pie?
So good!!!!
james franco is snoke confirmed 😉
so much visual effect yumminess
Somebody at Best Buy said?
I’m sorry, but I used to work at Best Buy while in college, they do not know anything.
I once ask d a computer tech what kind of sata drive I needed to up grade on my PS3, I literally watched him look it up on Wikipedia.
I’d love an extended edition when the trilogy is compleat! I wish the kylo lighting up the saber and pausing was in the final cut and chewy ripping off plutts arms. I’m up for as much as I can see I have blade runner box set that has about 12 differnt cuts of the film. Ok so I only realy watch 2 of the cuts but I have the outhers avalible. I belive I once read there was over 4 hours of footage shot for force awakens. Ok so not all of it would work and maybe some could contradict the story. I just hope one day it’s all avalible to watch some day!
100% with you. I can’t believe they cut that scene with Kylo igniting his lightsaber in the snow. So iconic !!
Oh whatever. I guess we’ll put it together ourselves, its the internet.
I work at Best Buy and can tell you that we sell the digital pre-orders but have no way of finding out when the Blu-Ray will be released.
I can tell you that when I called Amazon to correct my pre-order price down to $19.99 as it was just dropped a few days ago from $24.99 that they told me Even though it’s not listed, it’s due by the end of April . As someone else said, FYE also gave me the dates in April but I decided against it since it’s cheaper on Amazon plus free shipping. So I do expect it before April is over, since a few sources have confirmed that in the retail business.
At JBHiFi here in Newcastle, Australia, they have signs up everywhere saying to pre-order now for April 18th release.
Release it on May the fourth. Seems to obvious. Or maybe the third. You know Disney wants to market the fourth be with you and if they can throw the biggest movie ever on that date or the day before I am sure they will. Imagine every commercial, “Celebrate Star Wars Day and May the Fourth Be With You with Star Wars The Force Awakens available May 4, 2016,” or something to that effect.
I’m hoping they’ll do that.
If they do actually give us deleted scenes on the blu-ray, then there will definitely be an extended cut, thanks to the many fan editors out there.
Exactly. If fans can make something as expansive and polished as Revisited, they can definitely edit in deleted scenes, especially ones with finished VFX, like the snow speeder chase.
They have in the past and they will with this. I know someone will put in the 20th Century Fox Logo and fanfare.
Damn straight! Bring on the FanEdits!!
It does say “SPRING” on preorder boxes. Summer starts officially on June 21, so June 30th date seems kinda late.
Let’s just hope those exec’s at Disney read the articles here with the most comments. Typically a sign of heated fan debate. Typically also what’s good or bad with the film, or BluRay release 😉 Do you hear us Disney ??
I think by next year they’ll release the extended edition, they would make more money having ppl buy it twice
“Why you always lyin?” You know there will be an extended cut with the 2020 9 episode saga set with the spinoffs.