“More gruesome” Order 66 scene may lie on cutting room floor
By Jason Burke
Already billed by George Lucas as the darkest in the saga, Ian McDiarmid reveals that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith’s darkest moments may actually be on the cutting room floor.
Say what you will about Star Wars and its fans but they are a group that is well-informed. For the last 41 years, fans haven’t been able to get or share enough of all the little treasures and easter eggs they could find.
So during a weekend appearance at Salt Lake City’s FanX, McDiarmid gave fans a little more to talk about when it comes to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. During the panel, the subject of Order 66 came up, according to ComicBook.com, with McDiarmid explaining:
"“I think it was a little more gruesome than you ended up seeing, you know. A lot of young potential Jedi ended up on the cutting room floor.”"
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McDiarmid never fully explains the toned version, except, to say that it was “probably a good idea” to avoid the harsher rating. Revenge of the Sith was the first Star Wars film to receive a PG-13 rating from The MPAA for “sci-fi violence and some intense images.” However, it was the scene in which Darth Vader is set ablaze on the molten planet of Mustafar that had the MPAA’s decision makers set on the rating.
It’s hard to believe a few more scenes depicting the death of more Jedi would change the MPAA’s mind for an R rating. Unless we’re taking McDiarmid’s words at face value. His use of the phrase, “young potential Jedi” may mean there’s more to the infamous scene in the Jedi Temple. Could it be possible that somewhere in that dark room all those years ago are images of a conflicted Anakin tearing through younglings, sliced up and scattered in little black pieces of 8mm film across a cold floor? Just kidding, we know George Lucas loved his digital.
Next. Will Clone Wars season 7 feature Order 66?. dark
If this was the case, we may not be able to practice our favorite pastime (before The Last Jedi arrive) and blame George Lucas. Star Wars, especially during the prequel era, had a young, solid fan base that may not have taken the images lightly. More interesting to know, and this is all speculation, does this footage still exist? And, will we ever see more of Order 66?
Who knows? For all we know, Lucas may have mind tricked it all away already.