Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is the longest Star Wars movie made. But there was a point when it was longer. Rian Johnson’s upcoming sequel to The Force Awakens continues the story left off with that movie but takes the saga in a new direction.
While the movie is set to expand the saga’s narrative, people are looking for closure on many topics. For one, who are Rey and Snoke? Who are Rey’s parents? These questions might not be fully answered in The Last Jedi, as Han Solo’s (Harrison Ford) death might not be addressed, but audiences must rest assured knowing that many other areas will be covered. The movie will need to be long in order to discuss everything.
Johnson had told Collider at Star Wars press day that the upcoming movie’s original cut was over 3 hours. The movie was meant to be longer than the rest of the episodes.
He said: “We had a long movie from the start. It was well over three hours, the first cut… It’s much better at two and a half [hours] than it was at over three, but it was a cut I had put together, is where we started. And it was over three hours.”
Johnson had said that a few of the deleted scenes will be included but should not expect the extended cut.
“I’m really not into [releasing an extended cut]. I feel like the cut is what it is because I feel like it’s the best version of the movie, so the ‘director’s cut’ is the movie that’s going out in theaters. All the deleted scenes, no matter how much I love them, they came out for a reason and it’s all for the greater good of the movie itself. You can watch the deleted scenes on their own, I think that’s the way to watch them, but the movie is definitely the best version of the movie I think.”
The Last Jedi‘s runtime was confirmed to be 2 hours 31 minutes, and this makes the movie the longest Star Wars movie ever made. George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is the second longest and runs at 142 minutes and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith clocking in at 140 minutes. The rest of the movies hover around 130 minutes, with Lucas’ original movie, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, being the franchise’s shortest chapter with 121 minutes long.
Although Star Wars movies do not need runtimes, The Last Jedi‘s narrative calls for it with the new characters joining the fold. The question is, will Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX be shorter or longer than The Last Jedi?
