Hmm. Even taking the bolded quote at face value, I READ the script.

While it's been quite a while since I have read it, I don't remember much of anything different between that and the Japanese cut. Maybe a couple lines, but it's really really close. Closer than most movie final cuts are to the script.

I think that's just William Gibson unwilling to take any blame for the movie's failure, and hoping that no one reading the quote will actually read the script AND get to see the Japanese cut.

Still. I liked the theatrical version a lot, and love the Japanese cut more.

Ironically, Johnny Mnemonic was the reason I saw the Matrix opening day (playing hookie). (Though the awesomeness of the Matrix was the reason I saw it again that evening... and the following day.)