In the film industry, it is common for many movies to have exaggeratedly large cuts that, in essence, collect all the scenes filmed for the movie — beware, scenes, you don’t take them. Star Wars is not a saga oblivious to this phenomenon.
It is very possible that many of you know this anecdote, since it comes from an interview in 2011 by Jake Lloydthe actor who gave life to the young man Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. If this is not the case, you should know that there is an original cut of the film that lasts no less than six hours.
The version released in 1999 had a duration of 2 hours and 16 minutes, 136 minutes in total, which is not bad at all. Nevertheless, George Lucas he had a lot to tell in the first film of the trilogy that would explain how a powerful Jedi becomes the representation of the Dark Side and adopts the name of Darth Vader.
There was also a lot to tell about how the Republic would germinate imperial power before it Palpatine make your master move.
6 hours of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Interestingly, one of the few people to have seen that six-hour montage of the first Star Wars prequel was not one of its leads.
It would be the actor who voiced the General Grievous, Matthew Woodusual in the saga, who would have the privilege of seeing that cut that would better explain the origins of Darth Vader and the beginning of the end Order of the Jedi.
Wood appeared in the film as bib fortune and how Odi Mandrell, one of the contenders in the pod race. He was also part of the sound department, which is why it is possible that he had access to this long cut of the film.
Six hours of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, that’s a lot of hours, although it’s very possible that interesting things were left in the editing room when that original footage was cut.
