Director Ryan Johnson breaks down why a finished scene featuring Luke teaching Rey an important Jedi lesson got cut from the theatrical version of The Last Jedi.
Recently, debate over the key scene’s raging on message boards across the internet as the Last Jedi remains an extremely divisive film amongst fans. The debate reignited as a compare and contrast to the recent J.J. Abrams Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit the internet.
Rise of Skywalker was a divisive film as well, but in a completely different way than with Rian Johnson’s film.
The cut scene from Episode VIII takes place as Luke trains Rey on Achtoo. During the training sequel Luke tells Rey of three key lessons of the Jedi. As he goes through each lesson, keen eyes noticed that third and final key lesson never made it into the film.
The cut scene involves this lesson. Luke tricks Rey into believing that the Caretakers were under attack. Rey comes running, lightsaber brandished, ready for a fight. When she arrives, she realizes its a party and not an attack.
The scene had finished effects, so it’s easy to assume it was cut in the final moments of editing. A fan asked Johnson why the scene didn’t make the final cut of the film. Johnson answered him on Twitter:
“Mostly pace, and something about it always felt a little repetitive, coming at a point in the movie where we want to hit the gas and start escalating towards the finale.
I love the scene, it was a tough (but ultimately good) cut.”
The film debate reignited after the films editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey recently revealed mixed feelings over the film.
One praised Johnson for trying something new in the Star Wars universe, while the other criticized the director for discarding everything Abrams setup in The Force Awakens.
