PM Sent

bob_downunder said:

Hey, I would love a link as well please. This sounds amazing

Thanks for your interest!
Check your PMs

ECS said:

HOLY CRAP! I’ve long waited for this fanedit, and it did not disappoint…

Many thanks for your kind words! I truly hoped that I would be able to give something new to the Star Wars community, and I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

StarkillerAG said:

Could I have a link too? I’ve been casually following this edit on r/fanedits, and it looks like it has the potential to be one of the most impressive fanedits I’ve ever seen.

Thank you for your kind words. I humbly hope I don’t disappoint.

Star Wars: The Legend of the Solo Twins

Part One: The Hunt for Skywalker (2h:18m)
Part Two: The Destiny of a Jedi (2h:30m)

I have many things to say, and I’ve found it difficult to determine the order in which to say them, so I will present this in kind of a bullet-point/FAQ style. Thanks for bearing with me.

Why did I make this edit?

After editing and re-editing the sequel trilogy with the Palpatine connection still a major plot point, I found that another idea kept nagging at me. What if I could somehow bring the whole plot closer to what I love about the old Expanded Universe? In the EU, Han and Leia had a set of twin children, a boy and a girl. The boy, Jacen, fell to the dark side. The girl, Jaina, did not. Also in the EU, there are cloning experiments, insane dark Jedi, an imperial remnant led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, and lots of other cool stuff that many of us wish had never been un-canonized.

This project began as an experiment to see if I could blend the old and the new together (much like I feel that Dave Filoni is attempting to do) while giving the story more of the old Legends spirit. The boy’s name remains Ben. The girl’s name becomes Jaina, though following the trauma of her abduction and her mysterious abandonment on Jakku by bounty hunters who had planned to sell her to the Empire, her early memories are suppressed, and so she takes on the name “Rey”—a name inscribed on the old flight helmet she has found. This detail about the helmet is true; I did not make this up, and it further proves that “Rey” is not her real name. Ultimately, the power of this story comes from the intuitive bond between the sister and the brother and how it will shape their final destiny.

Admittedly, this new plot approach will not be for everyone. We all would do it differently, and that’s okay. Please remember that I simply saw this as a fun challenge to try to make this all happen. The story works for me and my test audience, but it would be cool if others enjoyed it as well. In the end, I’ll just be happy if I can share something a bit different with the Star Wars community (and maybe even inspire some others to make edits of their own).

Why is this fan edit a duology (two films) instead of a trilogy?

This was necessary to streamline the plot so that no references to Palpatine would be included. I also needed to trim down TLJ because, other than in holograms, Snoke is not physically present anywhere but at the Sith temple on Exegol. Film 1 is basically an extensive edit of The Force Awakens with a new prologue montage while Film 2 is a merging of The Last Jedi with The Rise of Skywalker.

Other than the sequel trilogy films, is there any other source material for this fan edit?

Yes, this project includes the work of many other talented people. Footage from numerous fan films and fan edits as well as bits from other Star Wars films, shows, and video game trailers have found their way into this edit. There are even some clips that I really am not sure where they came from, but below is a list of those I know of. Thank you to all of you talented people! My apologies if I miss anyone.

Fan films:

• Force of Darkness
• Star Wars: Rey’s Origin Story
• Boba Fett: No Disintegrations
• Star Wars: One Day I’ll Become…
• Star Wars: The Dark Redemption
• Thrawn: A Star Wars Fan Film Teaser
• Han Solo: A Smuggler’s Trade

Fan Editors:

• NeverarGreat
• Hal 9000
• Immersion VFX
• Jon H
• SpenceEdit
• poppasketti
• Movies Remastered
• Fixing Disney Star Wars (audio)
• Adywan (for inspiring me to get into fan-editing over a decade ago)

How many changes were made in this edit?

Tons and tons and tons! The base for this project was my own set of Sequel Trilogy edits which already included the work of others. Most substantially, my latest Force Awakens edit was a combination of my Version 1 edit and NeverarGreat’s Starlight Project which used Hal 9000’s The Force Awakens: Restructured edit as a base. Yes, it’s complicated.

I will not be presenting a list of every single change, because there are simply too many and, to be honest, I wouldn’t remember half of them by now anyway.

Summary of changes:

Film one: The Hunt for Skywalker

• Extensive new prologue montage to bridge the 20-year gap from ROTJ
• Jaina’s abduction is included in the prologue
• Several cameos are included in the prologue
• Many dialogue changes throughout the film to make the new story work
• To my knowledge, no AI dialogue was used unless it was part of a fan film
• Restructuring of original TFA plot-lines to provide more tension and set it apart from the OT (special thanks here to Hal 9000 and NeverarGreat)
• Several deleted scenes re-instated
• Repurposed shots used in numerous places
• A number of new quick Force-inspired flashbacks created
• Rey/Jaina’s character is improved in many ways. Just knowing that Han Solo is her dad makes her attitude a lot more fun. And knowing that she is the granddaughter of the chosen one makes the immensity of her Force abilities more plausible and way cooler!
• Extended credits
• And many more changes…

Film two: The Destiny of a Jedi

• Many, many dialogue changes to make the new story work
• Several deleted scenes re-instated
• Repurposed shots used in numerous places
• Luke and all other main characters have more dignity (we can only work with what we’ve been given, but I’ve always been amazed at how a few trims and cuts can change a character’s image). Luke’s character is greatly improved, but he still does have some painful regrets. Just about anyone with older children can relate to this to some degree. No matter how optimistic the beginning, we cannot control the destiny of our apprentices, and this, at times, can be a cause of great pain.
• Hux’s character is more consistent with film one
• Luke does not chuck his lightsaber
• Driven by his desire to be the new Vader, Kylo Ren has begun a search for Vader’s Holocron
• By Snoke’s manipulation, Kylo Ren has a delusional confrontation with Vader, spiraling him closer to insanity
• Numerous new Force-inspired flashbacks created
• New Snoke hologram speaks to Kylo—no more red room. Snoke is now just more of a mystical creep (though a very powerful one) who sits upon a throne of stone in the ancient Sith Temple on Exegol. This serves to further set him apart from the Palpatine we knew from the PT and OT who lived in luxury and sat on high-tech thrones on monstrous battle stations.
• The space chase is much reduced
• Rey learns that Han and Leia are her true parents, Luke confirms it
• Extended Kylo-goes-to-Mustafar sequence
• No lightspeed skipping
• In the second half of the film, Leia and Luke begin calling Rey by her real name— “Jaina”—while others still call her “Rey”
• Jaina calls Leia “Mother” in one scene
• The new fleet discovered belongs to Snoke who has risen from the shadows to command the Imperial remnant
• No mystery tour to find a knife and heal a snake and find a ship and kill a wookiee and find a droid doctor and get directions to Endor, etc., etc., etc…whew!
• Snoke is not seen in person until Jaina confronts him before the throne of the Sith
• Many new shots of Snoke on Exegol! If that didn’t work, the whole thing was a bust
• Snoke’s true identity is revealed at the Sith Temple (it’s purposefully subtle, so keep your ears open to the chants of the Sith worshippers!)
• Ben Solo calls his sister by her true name
• Jaina Solo does not need to say her name at the end of the story
• Extended credits
• And hundreds, if not thousands, of more changes…literally

How to watch and final thoughts:

For those of you still reading, I will be trying to get this edit on the Fanedit Network before I announce the release. Otherwise, please PM me for a link, but please do not request links in the forum.

In conclusion, I just want to say that, although I spent forever working on this edit, it is not perfect, and it never will be. Part of the reason for this is that the footage used comes from a variety of sources in varying degrees of video and audio quality. I have attempted to clean everything up to the best of my abilities, but in the end, it is what it is. This current version, due to the reasons I’ve just stated, is presented in 1080p and stereo audio.

Another reason for this edit’s imperfections is that I am not perfect. I have poured my heart into this project, but at the moment, my life is very busy and I have many other things to attend to, so despite its limitations, it’s time to let it fly.

I ask one thing of you: Go into this like a kid! That’s my approach when seeing anything Star Wars for the first time. I try to remember how excited I was back then, even if I was watching it through a dirty windshield at a drive-in movie theater or on a little TV hooked up to a cheap VCR. It was STAR WARS, man, and I loved it! (And yes, I am that old)

Thanks to all those interested!
Enjoy!

—21C Peasant

SEE THE TRAILER

EddieDean said:

It’s coming along! Just needing to find the time- I might have some meaty time to deep dive it a couple of weekends from now. The third movie is an absolute beast- so much prison content, I need to rebuild a lot of audio transitions. But I’m chipping away.

I totally understand how it is to try to find the time needed. Thanks for all your work!

I’ve really enjoyed your work on this project!

How’s the progress on Film 3? Can’t wait to check out the final version.

This is something I put together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jobwstylkI

Spartacus01 said:

Palpatine does not appear. Snoke is the villain throughout (even on Exegol!).
Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozgt7T98sVg

As Dev Dog already said, that’s insane! I can’t wait to see your edits to be completed! Though, I suggest you to open a separate thread for them.

Agreed. I don’t want to take any attention away from DevDog. He’s got a cool project going here that people should be following.

As to the concept of what you’re doing, I more prefer them to be separate characters, as I really like all of them and don’t want to use one over the other.

I totally get where you’re coming from. In my project, the ideas behind Legends and Canon are blended to put a new spin on the story. Admittedly, this approach will not be for everyone, but I saw it as a fun challenge to try to merge the new canon into the old Expanded Universe (which I love).

Anyway, I like your ideas, and I can’t wait to check out your edit!

Hey, I’ve been working on a sequel duology too! In some areas, our ideas are quite different, but in others, they are surprisingly similar.

My edit is a merging of Legends and Canon in which Ben and Jaina (Rey) are the Solo twins. Jaina is stolen from Coruscant as a small child by bounty hunters who intend to sell her to the Empire, but then for reasons unknown, abandon her on Jakku. The trauma of her abduction causes Jaina’s memory of her origins to be suppressed.

Palpatine does not appear. Snoke is the villain throughout (even on Exegol!).
Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozgt7T98sVg

My mistake.

Willow: The Tir Asleen Cut (A 21C Peasant Extended Edition)

With the Willow TV series now upon us, I thought it would be a perfect time for me to share my Willow: The Tir Asleen Cut with all of you fellow fan-edit fans. I completed this cut several years ago, but this is its first public release.

The four deleted/extended scenes I have added needed a lot of care to make them flow into the rest of the film, and though they do not add all that much more run time, they bring in the very interesting subplot of Sorsha and her father. Suddenly, Sorsha’s conversion, as well as the importance of Tir Asleen and its king, make a whole lot more sense and add significant depth to the story. All of the new material takes place in the second half of the film.

A couple of very minor trims were made to the theatrical version simply to suit my taste. Everything else is intact.

I’m not able to check my PMs or even this forum all that often, so look me up here for more info on how to watch. https://www.reddit.com/r/fanedits/?f=flair_name%3A"Feature"

Don’t miss this opportunity to see the George Lucas classic as it has never been seen before!

A link would be great!

Thanks

I’m really enjoying your work!

Any idea when you’ll finish your final episode?

When I downloaded the film, the English subtitles were burned into the video.

I wasn’t sure if this was your intention or not.

Thank you for tackling this project! I’m glad to see it was you, as I’ve been a fan of your work for a long time.

The Lord of the Rings is my favorite trilogy of all time as well, so I’ve had a cautious approach to the Rings of Power. Because I have done so many fan edits for my personal viewing, I was considering the possibility of editing the series myself, but I just don’t have the time at the moment to put into so large a project.

In the end, I decided (despite being a Prime Video customer) to pass on watching the series altogether and put my hope and trust in a talented fan editor with a love for LOTR.

Over the years, I have seen a number of fan edits (ones said to be great improvements over the originals) before ever having seen the originals themselves (although I did purchase copies before my viewing). And I must say, it’s kind of nice once in a while to be able to lean on the hindsight of a good fan editor so that your first experience of a story is aided by their vision.

Best of luck with the finishing touches. And thank you once again for taking this on!

One of the major issues that I had with the show (and one of the very first things I tackled in my personal edit) is that Leia is portrayed as being so sassy.

This is a major misunderstanding of what makes a strong child character. Even if the writers were trying to make this some sort of an arc for Leia, it just doesn’t sit well that she would be so disrespectful to legitimate authority and, at the same time, so wise beyond her years. I was fine with her telling off her cousin, but her rudeness to her mother and to Obi-Wan made her virtually unlikeable. And Obi-Wan was basically sealed as a loser by constantly getting dissed and one-upped by a spoiled child. Fortunately, with a number of small cuts here and there, Leia came much more in line with what we should expect from her — gutsy but classy, outspoken but just. She can still have a character arc without her starting out as a total brat.

Enough of my ranting!

Overall, I’m really liking your Legends approach. Can’t wait for more details!

Does anyone know if there is a high-quality deepfake of Hayden as Darth Vader when Luke removes his helmet? I’ve seen a couple of these on youtube, but I’m looking for someone more polished.

A minor thought:

When Vader says, “Prepare my ship”, it reminds me too much of Kylo. I’d prefer “Prepare my shuttle”, possibly taking “shuttle” from ESB.

To me, that just sounds way more Vader.

Anjohan said:
However, the hallway growing exceptionally wide is still something that will need fixing.

Agreed.

Anjohan said:

SC38 will be mixed in at the end of the film, BUT - with that being said - I will definitely have to do a lot of rotoscoping work because there are many flaws between that footage and the original film. The background lights change intensity and sometimes shades of white all over the place, and the corridor also looks to get bigger as we switch to the SC38 footage. But I’ll have to see when I start work on that.

First off, I tip my cap to Fixinitpost for their awesome work on SC 38 Reimagined. Second, I think most of us would agree that simply inserting SC 38 into A New Hope is just too jarring. Third, after Vader’s performance in Rogue One, the duel in ANH just doesn’t hold up when viewing the films in chronological order. I grew up with the OT and I love it as it is, however, updated versions are cool too.

For inspiration, I thought I’d share my current cut of this scene. I created some new composite shots and kept tweaking old and new to bring things closer together. My goal was to use as much of the original duel as possible, while only using SC 38 to supplement. Is it perfect?..No, but it certainly gives Vader the ferocity we have come to expect, especially toward his old master.

The video is in 1080 if you download it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L6U8UYmWlbz5q-4pSrDQgJds8xvOthmZ/view?usp=sharing

I totally agree with the way you want to improve Boba’s character.

Even Temuera Morrison thought he had too many lines.

Great work as always and thank you for sharing your workprint.

I’m left with one major thought:

This is probably just my preference, but I feel like it would be more compelling to end the film with Grogu trying to make his decision. The resolve afterward of him in the ship with Mando just comes too quickly (not your fault — just what you have to work with). Plus, the suspenseful ending could be intriguing.

I know that we don’t know what to expect in the coming season, but one way or another, we will see Grogu end up with Mando, so his decision will be apparent in the next film. Also, the current closing shot could very well be used in that film.

Even if we were never to get another season, I still find that ending to be the most interesting and thought-provoking.

Just my thoughts

Thank you again for the chance to view in advance. I look forward to the finished product!

I’m a big fan of your past work.

I’d really like to check out your workprint when it’s ready.

Thanks