Star Wars Fans Get #ReleaseTheJJCut Trending Due to Rise of Skywalker Controversy

Kofi Outlaw

01/02/2020 01:14 pm EST

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has quickly earned the reputation of being the second most divisive film in the nine-part Skywalker Saga, and with good reason. Star Wars: The Last Jedi sparked massive controversy with its decision to divert course away from the nostalgia indulgences of The Forces Awakens, and The Rise of Skywalker blatantly tries to redirect that course correction. However, where The Last Jedi was heavily criticized for director Rian Johnson's decisions with the film, it seems the controversy over The Rise of Skywalker has more to do with Disney possibly wrestling control away from director J.J. Abrams.

Over the last week or so, the Star Wars fandom has been passing around supposed insights from sources close to production on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, who allege that Disney forced significant changes to Rise of Skywalker, going so far as to keep J.J. Abrams in the dark about what was going on. It's just rumor, but it's being treated as gospel by a certain contingent of fans, and has, in turn, sparked an outcry. As of writing this, "#ReleaseTheJJCut" has become a trending topic on Twitter, with signs that this could be the 2020 version of the Justice League #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement.

See for yourself, below:

What Had Happened

If you want to do the heavy reading, here is the full breakdown of how Disney allegedly intervened in the making of The Rise of Skywalker, and what all the studio allegedly changed in the film.

Let's Make It Happen

Fans that are pushing this "J.J. Cut" agenda are loving the result of the hashtag trending on a bigger and bigger scale.

This is The New Fight

Because Justice League #ReleaseTheSnyderCut is justsooooo 2019...

FinnPoe Deserved Better

One of the biggest points of outrage has been the suggestion (even from Oscar Isaac himself) that Disney killed any notion of the long-hoped-for bromance between Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Isaac) becoming a true LGBTQA+ romance.

We Were Happy... For A Second

Even fans who were pleased with the theatrical cut of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are now second-guessing their own pleasure.

Does it Even Exist?

Like with the Justice League Snyder Cut, half the argument about The Rise of Skywalker J.J. Abrams cut will be over whether it's actually even a thing.

We're Coming For You, Disney

Rian Johnson and his The Last Jedi cast had to shoulder the bulk of Star Wars fandom outrage when that film was released: Now, Disney is about to get a taste of what that's like. Hope they're ready.

Grief Begets Conspiracy

Is there really a different "J.J. Cut" of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker out there? Or did Abrams and writer Chris Terrio (the guy who also wrote Batman v Superman) just make a divisive film?

The Jedi Deserved Better

This is indeed something that many fans wanted to see - and the suggestion that it could've happened (but didn't) certainly has them feeling some kind of way.

CatsCut

The J.J. Cut is the director's cut the world wants right now, but it's not the one it deserves. Now that director's cut of Cats, on the other hand...

This Path Leads to the Dark Side

This kind of conspiracy and doubt is exactly what turns happy, level-headed fans toward the dark side of fandom.

Do you believe the "J.J. Cut" of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out there?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now in theaters. The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.

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