Yeah to me it looked like JJ was trying to adress the “Marysue” elements of Rey right off the bat in the intro training montage, failing the circuit and admitting that she is unworthy of the saber and needs more training, but the way it was executed was terribly rushed and felt quite contrived.
The novel did go through quite a few alterations recently, with this current version though I can see why they opted to cut it, it’s mostly inconsequential to the plot save for Hux and Pryde’s attitudes towards Ren.
Excerpt from the novelisation: Mustafar and the Oracle.
https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-novelization-excerpt
All culled from deleted scenes, never-before-seen material, and input from the filmmakers. In StarWars.com’s exclusive excerpt, Kylo Ren tears through Mustafar hunting for a Sith artifact that could lead to Emperor Palpatine; but in a new sequence, he ultimately encounters a strange being protecting the desired device…
General Armitage Hux watched—from a safe distance—as Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and a squad of stormtroopers cut a swath of blood and destruction through the pathetic Mustafarian colonists. They battled through the gloomy woods of Corvax Fen, one of the few patches on this hellscape of a lava planet that was cool enough to support native growth, if you could call this “growth.” Barren trees grew out of a noxious marsh, and the air was hazy with mist. The barbarian colonists were failing to put up a decent fight; their archaic halberds and broadswords were no match for the technical superiority of a good blaster, or even, Hux had to admit, a lightsaber.
Ren was a blunt instrument, a mindless dog, whose current obsession was putting all the First Order’s plans behind schedule. The general was half tempted to wade into the fight himself to hurry things along—just so they could leave this awful planet. Or at least he would be half tempted if his skills were not better used elsewhere. Best if Ren did all the dirty work; Hux was too valuable to risk.
“He’s almost beautiful to watch,” mused Allegiant General Pryde, standing tall beside him. The older man had arrogant blue eyes and a high hairline that seemed immune to perspiration, even in a hell-climate like this. “Don’t you think?”
Hux refused to gratify that with a response, because true beauty came from discipline, from order. So it was almost against his will that he found himself mesmerized as Ren met a barbarian’s charge head-on, cloak flowing, mist swirling around him. The glow of his lightsaber occasionally snagged on his cheek scar, making it appear as though a crack of glowing lava slashed his face. It was like something out of a dream, or maybe a nightmare, as the Supreme Leader plunged his fiery crossguard into his attacker’s abdomen, lifted him from the ground, and sent him toppling onto his back. Kylo Ren did not spare his fallen foe a single glance, simply rushed forward into the woods seeking his next kill.
But there was no one left. Corpses littered the ground, barely more than lumps of shadow in the gloom. The air smelled of ozone and scorched vegetation. All was eerily silent as Ren looked around, catching his breath. Even from a distance, Hux could sense his disappointment that the killing was over, that no outlet for his rage remained.
Kylo Ren gathered himself and strode away into the woods, shoulders set with determination, lightsaber still ablaze. The mysterious object he had come for—dragged all of them across the galaxy for—was nearly within his grasp.
“He’s gone mad,” General Hux said, and the contempt in his voice was obvious even to his own ears. “Flames of rebellion burn across the galaxy, and Ren chases a ghost.”
“No,” Allegiant General Pryde responded, softly but firmly. “Someone was behind that transmission. And Leader Ren will answer to no one.”
Hux narrowed his eyes. Ren would definitely answer to someone, someday. He just didn’t realize it yet.
Kylo Ren showed mercy to nothing and no one, but he had a grudging appreciation for things that struggled to survive. Even though the nearest lava flow was many klicks away, it seemed as though the air ought to be too hot, too chemical, for life to truly thrive here. As they’d landed, Hux had proclaimed the planet a “desolate hellscape,” and Kylo hadn’t bothered to correct him. The truth was, Mustafar was teeming with life—all connected through the Force. Like those hapless cultists he’d just killed, who’d been obsessed with protecting Vader’s legacy. Or this forest of twisted irontrees they endeavored to cultivate. Or even the extremophile organisms that swarmed the lava flows. All fragile but determined, mutilated but indomitable.
It was no wonder his grandfather has chosen this place for a home.
Kylo strode through the trees, lightsaber still ignited. Malevolence lay ahead, along with a darkness that had nothing to do with the planet’s day–night cycle. But that’s not why he kept his weapon ready. He refused to put it away because for the briefest moment, as he was hacking away at Mustafarians, he had sensed her. Watching him. Now his guard was up, and it would stay up until he got what he came for.
By silent mutual agreement, the stormtroopers who’d accompanied him had declined to follow him through the woods, which suited him fine. He preferred to be alone for this.
A few more steps and the ground became soggy. The mist thickened. A small splash indicated that his presence had been noticed. Finally, the trees broke open onto a small lake with brackish water, bordered on all sides by forest and large black lumps like boulders, jutting out of the ground at odd angles. No, not boulders, he noted upon closer look, but rather fallen remnants of Darth Vader’s castle.
An oily film slicked across the lake’s still surface. But as Kylo approached, the water bubbled up in the center, sending tiny waves to lap at his boots.
A giant emerged, a hairless creature sheening with wetness, bits of lake detritus clinging to its pasty skin. Its eyes were squeezed shut, but it could still see after a fashion, because draped over its massive bald head and across one shoulder was a second creature with long spidery tentacles. The two were locked in symbiosis. Kylo sensed the giant’s pain, as though it were a slave to the spidery being that clung to it. Yet neither could it survive alone.
The spider creature spoke. “I am the Eye of Webbish Bog. I know what you seek.”
“You will give it to me,” Kylo said.
The Eye cocked its head, making an eerie squealing noise. It took a moment for Kylo to realize the creature was laughing at him. “No need for that,” the Eye said. “Do you really think my lord would have left it in the guardianship of one who could be swayed by a trick of the Force?”
No, he supposed not.
“You’ve been seeking it for a while, yes? I must warn you, our fiery planet burns away deception. If you proceed down this path, you will encounter your true self.”
Kylo was growing impatient. He glared in silence.
“Fine,” the creature said, as though disappointed that Kylo would not indulge him in ceremony. “In accordance with Lord Vader’s wishes, you have defeated my protectors and earned it. His wayfinder.”
The blind giant beneath the Eye raised its enormous hand from the water and pointed toward a small island in the lake. On it was a stone structure, like an altar.
Kylo turned off his lightsaber and hooked it to his belt. He waded into the shallow lake, soaking his boots and cloak. The water was warm, and the ground beneath the water a sludge that sucked at his feet. He ignored it all, reaching for a pyramidal object. It fit satisfyingly in his hand, heavy and hot, and he stared at it a moment, lost in its red glow. The sides were etched glass framed in deep-gray resin. The crimson light within seemed to pulse faintly. Ren had come a long way for this, and yet he hesitated, eyeing the pyramid with distrust.
“It will guide you through the Unknown Regions,” the Eye said. “To the hidden world of Exegol. To him.”
Whoever he was. The transmission purporting to be from Palpatine had reached the far corners of the galaxy. Kylo had it memorized:
At last the work of generations is complete. The great error is corrected. They day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith.
He wasn’t sure what to believe about it, but it was a fair guess that Kylo wasn’t the only one seeking answers. Others would follow the same path and come to Mustafar sooner or later, looking for this exact object.
So surely his grandfather would have made it harder than this? Those cultists were too easy to kill. This creature too easy to convince. Then again, he was Vader’s heir. The object belonged to him.
Now that he had it up close, the etchings in the glass clarified into patterns. Star charts. Alignment markers. Something stirred deep within him, suggesting ancient knowledge and power, and he felt a rush of triumph. It had all been worth it—diverting ships, sending out spies, tracing old records, enduring the smug disapproval of that idiot Hux—all to find this.
Kylo looked up, and was startled to discover that the Eye of Webbish Bog was gone, slipped back beneath the surface of a lake so still it was as though nothing lived within it at all.
How long had he been staring at the pyramid?
Kylo Ren wasted no more time. Dried blood made the skin of his face itch, and his boots and cloak were soggy with lake water, but instead of returning to his command ship, the Steadfast, he dismissed everyone back to their regular duties and jumped into his modified TIE whisper to make the next part of the journey alone.
No one protested.
He connected the pyramid to his navicomputer, attaching ports where indicated by the glass etchings. The nav interface lit up with new information, but it also blared a warning.
For these coordinates would take him beyond the Western Reaches into the Unknown Regions. Kylo overrode the warning and jumped his TIE to lightspeed. The stars turned to streams of matter.
The Unknown Regions remained uncharted because a chaotic web of anomalies had created a near-impenetrable barrier to exploration; only the most foolhardy or desperate ventured there—criminals, refugees, and, if the reports were true, remnants of the old Imperial fleet who had refused to accept New Republic rule.
A few planets had been discovered, but their populations remained small, and their trade with the rest of the galaxy had been throttled by the navigational risk. The Sith and the Jedi had found paths through to even more dangerous, more hidden worlds—or so legends said—and the specific, carefully stepped coordinate jumps required to safely navigate the anomalies were among their most closely guarded secrets.
The trip would be worth the risk. Someone was out there, claiming to be the Emperor himself, and Kylo could already sense ripples of doubt in the First Order. After all he’d done, after all he’d sacrificed to become Supreme Leader . . . who would dare to challenge him now?
According to an early JediPaxis leak the Oracle mentioned Kylo’s feelings for Rey as “love” and rebuked him for it, that thread seems to have been cut out entirely which is a shame as it would have had at the VERY LEAST set up the “will they wont they, romance-dynamic” in the film.
On some websites the runtime for the Blue Ray is marked at 155 mins so that could be an indication of an extended cut, but it’s likely that they are going off of the runtime listed in November before the film was cut down to smithereens.
I’m also still in need for adywans edits of the OT as well as darthrushs ROTJ and would be thankful for help!
+1
Love your ideas for this edit, here is my input.
- New crawl for TFA that hints someone we know might have returned and establishes that he’s responsible for building and sending the First Order as a threat. Here’s a work-in-progress:
"a familiar ancient evil has returned and built an armada known as the FIRST ORDER.
Could be a little on the nose but this version could better explain the political situation as well as hint at Palpatine.
"The Republic has Shattered! A thousand worlds have rallied behind the tyrannical Legions of the FIRST ORDER, an ominous armada from Beyond the known galaxy Ruled by a PHANTOM SHADOW.
Luke Skywalker has VANISHED, with no help from the JEDI and the CRIPPLED Republic, GENERAL LEIA ORGANA has scraped together a brave RESISTANCE. She is desperate to find her brother LUKE and gain his help in restoring peace and justice to the galaxy.
In a desperate race against THE FIRST ORDER to find THE LAST JEDI, LEIA has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku where an old ally has found a clue to his whereabouts…"
-I don’t think Snoke should have the title of “Supreme” Leader since technically he is second in command to Palps, “Leader Snoke” would be more fitting.
-Kylo hearing “find me” from Vader’s helmet is a little too soon of a reveal for me, maybe hearing Vader’s breathing and a faint cackle from Palpatine would be more subtle. "find me " can be moved to when he holds the Wayfinder on Mustafar.
Meanwhile, Kylo Ren, hearing voices from the beyond, searches for the source of an immense dark power beyond even Snoke…"
-I would suggest changing it to “Searches for the source an immense dark power beyond his master Snoke…”
Move the opening scene of TROS to the very start of TLJ. Pan down to Kylo flying in to Mustafar where we see him slaughter the natives and finding the Wayfinder. Having Kylo be aware of a bigger power than Snoke and searching for it ties into his growing resistance to Snoke that we see throughout TLJ and his decision to kill him. It doesn’t undermine his resolve to kill those above him and become Supreme Leader because he’s searching for Palpatine so we can kill him too.
Moving this scene to after Kylo gets berated by SNOKE would make more narrative sense. “Prepare my ship!”- rages on to Mustafar. Either way something has to be done about that scar.
- Palpatine doesn’t say “kill the girl”, he only says “find the girl”. This change will be made throughout TROS. Palpatine’s plan in this film doesn’t make sense if he wants Kylo to kill Rey but at the end actually wanted her there to be Empress. In my version, he’s telling Kylo to find her.
Agreed, except “Bring the girl” would clarify his intentions better.
- Palpatine doesn’t say he created Snoke. We change the word “created” to “trained”. It is a lot less dumb to have Snoke be a real dark side user that Palpatine trained as an apprentice to lead the First Order as opposed to being a clone (which doesn’t fit with how he’s been presented since TFA).
Love this, when he says “You will rule the galaxy as the New Emperor” I would change it to “You will rule the Galaxy as Emperor and Empress” This would further motivate Kylo Ren.
- New TROS crawl (WIP):
"Having schemed from the shadows for decades, a clone of the late EMPEROR PALPATINE brought terror to the galaxy through Snoke and the FIRST ORDER. Now he uses his shadow clone army to unleash the FINAL ORDER and complete his conquest.
Not a big fan of the Clone thing, I would go with something more like this:
"The PHANTOM EMPEROR lives! His spirit enchained within the broken shell of his body through SORCERY, the late SITH LORD schemed from the shadows for decades bringing terror to the galaxy through Snoke and the FIRST ORDER. Now he uses his shadow clone army to unleash his FINAL ORDER and complete his conquest.
-What do you think of including the fortnite radio Broadcast at the start of TROS, something akin to this
https://youtu.be/Slsj4YeYaYQ?
Anyway I like where you’re going with this edit and I’m looking forward to see more.
Tons of new HQ stills from The Rise Of Skywalker:
https://www.starwarsauthentics.com/iSynApp/allProduct.action?sid=1102083&rc=36&selectedCatId=20601&sort=createts_desc&qMode=&layout=grid&pgmode1=catpage&pgmode2=&pgmode3=&pgcust1=&pgcust2=&pgcust3=&fsList[0].strValue1=caf_movietitlePhotos_s&fsList[0].strValue2=Star+Wars%3A+The+Rise+Of+Skywalker&rs=0
Wouldn’t be too far fetched for the Star Wars embodiment of Satan.
It’s likely that he “did it” during the days of the Empire in some kind of occultic sex ritual with a willing Sith acolyte.
yotsuya said:
I wouldn’t be questioning Kennedy.
Lol.
Yeah, I don’t see Disney corporate telling Lucasfilm what to do.
Naive would be an understatement.
Disney has distanced themselves from the Prequels where it counts, the films, in the grand scheme of things TCW and the comics are inconsequential to Disney’s bottom line when compared to the box office.
Admittedly I have yet to come to terms with my disappointment with TROS and the ST by extension, I am aware that much of the blame goes to KK and the writers - namely Abrams with his pseudo purist view of Star wars, but I am certain that the corporate heads at Disney (namely Alan horn and Iger) had a LOT of influence -the final say- on the development and production, and are the the ones that steered the ST in this direction and they should be the ones taking most of the blame primarily, its their “product” after all.
I think it’s apparent that Disney has tried to distance themselves form the Prequels as far as the ST is concerned, the second draft of Trevarrow’s script specifically swaps out coruscant as the FO capital for another metropolitan planet with the same aesthetic, likely indicating a mandate.
The story of the ST really hinged on whether 9 delivered or not, if they went with duel of the fates they would have at least established a purpose for this trilogy - the idea of balance in the force and the FO civil war. Unfortunately TROS shattered all that was built up in the previous two films and brought us back to the status-quo, deeming this trilogy Irrelevant.
I see where you are coming from, what do you think of starting that scene with the establishing shot of kashyyk and the wookies roaring behind cover and running towards the shore, D-day style, to clearly emphasis that its an an invasion.
I think cutting to kashyk this soon without context makes it feel a little out of place , I prefer the original transition especially with the music.
Removing Coruscant and Mortis seems to have been a mandate by Disney, they probably thought the Prequel imagery would upset the “hardcore fans” which is most likely also why they canned George Lucas’ scrips. Its infuriating how short sighted they were.
Another alternative for Rey Palpatine would be the Cloning route, have Kylo walk through a corrider of unfinished clones of Rey using footage from The force unleashed 2 cinematic as a base or wait until Rey reaches Exogol and reveal the clones there. This would tie into Rey’s cave scene and would do away with the scarring image of Palpatine clapping cheeks from our minds.
One my favourite aspects of this script is precisely Kylo Rens character, they didn’t shy away from going all out evil, surpassing even Vader. Seeing him struggle to succeed where his grandfather “failed”- killing his sentiment - his grandfathers greatest weakness, Kylo subsequently becoming emptier and emptier until by the end he becomes an empty shell of himself. I really liked how Kylo destroying Vaders helmet symbolically portrayed his finally becoming his own entity which I think would have been great character development. But nah KK and co decided to go with a half arsed attempt at a safe and cliche ‘redemption’.
Reading the script I do believe you could probably have accounted for Fisher’s absence by using the film’s time jump to have her die between movies, and then split her storytelling duties here between other characters. Have her military duties handled by Connix, and then have the familial/Force duties handled by… Anakin. Honestly, his effect on Kylo probably would be more meaningful as he’s written than Leia’s since Anakin is who he looks up to, Anakin’s the only person in the world who has ever been where he is, and Anakin’s the only person who can explain to him why it’s better to do good while you can before you go.
Plus, having the film stop for a second after the first act to recognize Leia’s absence through a resistance memorial somewhere on the compound that the characters meet at would have been a much better tribute to the character than the weird semi-resurrection they gave her in TROS. Plus having Fisher’s real-life daughter assume the duties of Fisher’s best known character, but with Lourde’s character instead, seems more in keeping with how this trilogy works.
Alternatively, you could have ROSE be the new Resistance leader in that case, but I feel that probably takes her out of the action too much and I like the way she’s used here.
To the idea that they should have pushed this back a year - they probably could have developed this in the time they gave it just fine, if they hadn’t been so insistent on specific beats being hit. If they were actually going to push it back a year, my feeling is they’d have done that, and then just gotten Rian Johnson back. But then again - who’s to say they wouldn’t have tried the same thing with him that they did with Trevorrow, now that they’re developing THE END instead of just a Part 2.
Totally agree, It makes me wonder if there is more to Trevorrow leaving the project than what we know, perhaps KK disliked the script outright but for them to go with JJ’s script instead seems odd.
Hopefully we get some light shed on what happened soon.
One of Rey’s special powers is that everyone falls in love with her for some reason, and yes that’s including the villain!
It’s most likely that it was leaked by an associate of Colins with his permission.
I think it would have been more appropriate if he appeared in his Crait look with the short hair.
EXT. TEMPLE OF MORTIS - DAY
Kylo Ren ascends the steps to a sealed stone door.
The Temple is cut into the mountaintop. Uninterpretable
carvings, runes and statues allude to civilization and
knowledge long lost.
He reaches out. The door bends to his will and OPENS. A
millennium of dust spills from its cracks.
But he does not enter. He knows he’s not alone.
KYLO
I knew you’d come.
Kylo turns to face REY.
His mask surprises her. She’s only seen the projection of his
ideal self in their connections. Not this.
KYLO (CONT’D)
The Force is strong in this place.
Can you feel it?
A low RUMBLE. She’s digging into his mind.
REY
You’re in pain. Beneath that mask.
KYLO
Get out of my head. You won’t like
what you find.
He FORCE-PUSHES HER BACK. Her feet slide back a few inches,
but she withstands it, steadfast.
KYLO (CONT’D)
I’m stronger than Anakin Skywalker.
Stronger than his son.
REY
But you’re still afraid.
KYLO
Of what? You?
REY
Of what you’ve become. The Dark
Side has left you empty. Alone.
KYLO
I don’t have to be alone. With the
power of this place, we could rule
the galaxy as the Ancients did. The
Dark Side and the Light.
REY
You still think I’d join you. After
what you did to my family?
Kylo falters a bit.
REY (CONT’D)
We’re you going to tell me here?
Weaken me with the truth? I know
what you did. Deep down, I’ve
always known.
She circles him like a lion.
REY (CONT’D)
My parents didn’t sell me for
drinking money. They were hiding me
from you.
KYLO
So you remember.
FLASH TO
The Knights of Ren in the rain–the image from Rey’s Force
vision when she first touched the lightsaber.
A distant child SCREAMS.
KYLO (CONT’D)
Snoke made his orders clear. Find
anyone who could destroy him. It
didn’t take us long to find you.
REY
You killed my parents.
KYLO
You blame me for your life on
Jakku. You should thank me for it.
You were safe.
REY
Say it! Did you kill them?
KYLO
I did.
A blast of powerful energy EXPLODES AROUND HER, clearing the
temple mount of loose rocks.
REY
You murdered Han Solo…
KYLO
I’m not here for you, Rey.
REY
Millions of people…
KYLO
All I want is behind that door.
Rey IGNITES HER DUAL-LIGHTSABER.
REY
Then you’ll have to kill me.
Kylo lights his own saber.
KYLO
I know.
Kylo ATTACKS. They CLASH on the steps of the Temple. Both far
more powerful than the last time they met.
One of these two will not survive.
Wish we had gotten this instead of “Muh baby palpatine”.
Full Colin Trevarrow script:
Link removed by moderator