George Lucas has three movies' worth of unused footage from Star Wars prequels

Everyone comes across deleted scenes from the Star Wars prequels from time to time. Fans have been eager for an extended cut of the films, especially Episode III, for the past few years. Maybe they'll get it eventually because, according to ScreenRant, a new interview with Star Wars stunt coordinator Nick Gillard has finally revealed the sheer volume of unused footage from the prequel trilogy.

Gillard discussed the extensive footage in an interview with Chris Castellani and revealed that it's enough for another trilogy and amounts to "three more movies in footage." While there are probably dozens of scenes, we can't imagine that never made it into the films, Gillard, who choreographed the duels for the prequels, went into the alternate version of Anakin and Obi-Wan's dramatic duel in the finale of Episode III.

This version plays out quite differently than the one in the movie but still ends with Anakin losing all his limbs. Gillard describes the scene in detail, which includes Anakin grabbing Obi-Wan by the throat and disarming him before he attempts to behead him with his lightsaber:

"They came up with that big mast that fell over, that they swung and landed on something floating on the lava... they didn't, they landed on the bank. They landed from the swing, they landed on the bank. Immediately we have, that he grabbed him by the throat, Anakin grabs Obi from the throat, he disarms him, his lightsaber's on the floor, he's like, and I'm really sorry, you have to be killed and launches his lightsaber to cut his head off, and Obi - in a defense move - turns out of it, summons his lightsaber to parry that blow that's coming for his head, in the turn goes through Anakin's arms."

Nick Gillard

Gillard didn't say why this version wasn't chosen for the film, but it's interesting to imagine how he describes this scene. The "high ground" line and almost every second of this duel have become the stuff of legends now, with fans often asking Ewan McGregor to say the famous dialogue during conventions. In terms of choreography, this duel doesn't lack anything, but it's been long known that certain aspects of the scene were changed. For example, a line of dialogue spoken by Hayden Christensen after Anakin loses his limbs was deleted. In the scene, Anakin originally asks Obi-Wan for help as his body bursts into flames, but Obi-Wan refuses.

Changing this scene was probably a good idea, or it may have changed our perspective of Obi-Wan forever. As for the hours of deleted scenes from the prequels, the only way they'll see the light of day is if George Lucas gives his blessings. So far, there hasn't been any talk of an extended cut of the Star Wars prequels, but it doesn't seem completely out of the question.

Who knows? Perhaps Lucasfilm will release an extended cut of Episode III - Revenge of the Sith for its 20th Anniversary next year, including the alternate version of Anakin and Obi-Wan's fateful duel. It would surely get fans even more excited if the movie were re-released with unseen footage.

The Star Wars prequel trilogy is streaming on Disney+.