ST A Different Opening?

In an interview published on December 14, an exchange between JJ Abrams and a reporter went like this:

This is very strange.

As we know, the opening of the film does indeed begin with a spaceship. A First Order Star Destroyer, to be precise.

Which begs the question. Was there originally a different opening? Is it at all possible that JJ was referring to an earlier cut, wherein the opening scene may have been a lightsaber falling to a planet's surface? If so, this interview would have to have been conducted months ago.

If not, what was Abrams referring to when he said "It's a different opening?"

Curious...

 

Could have been referring to a different opening as in a different "famous yellow letter" opening. I would like to think that the opening of TFA was appropriately a Star Wars opening.

 

But JJ was asked if the movie will begin with a spaceship, as all other Star Wars films have. And he replied:

"It's a different opening."

Does that not strongly imply that the film does NOT open with a spaceship?

 

Remember back when that clown Devin Faraci (known Star Wars hater) tried to convince all of us the opening was going to be the lightsaber with Luke's severed hand attached?

I've never been SO glad to see the actual film and see someone like Devin put directly into his place as being that very WRONG.

As to JJ's comments, I'll wager that he was just being obtuse to not give anything away, even the opening.

 

In the TFA novel there is a different opening. It begins with a scene with Leia. The novel is based on the original script so that may have been what JJ was referring to. Wisely he cut that scene and another Leia scene both of which happen before the movies first scene. I think if they had kept those scenes the emotion of the scene we got in the movie at seeing Leia for the first time would have been way less powerful.

 

He could just have been trying to throw the guy off, we know JJ hates giving away info on his movies.

 

Right. But the questioner was very clear about the "opening with a spaceship" descriptor. In that context, saying that it's a different opening is not quite right.

Which makes me wonder if the rumored floating saber opening was cut very late in the game.

 

It does. I think it likely changed in the editing room.

 

In actuality, it begins with a shadow of a space ship.

 

It's not a shadow, but a view of the ship from an angle where it is not being lit from the planet, so we're seeing the dark side of the ship.

 

i liked it, good job making something same but different!
i never liked the idea of a lightsaber falling from space, it always opens with ships

 

I dunno but that opening was sick

 

Agreed that it was an excellent opening (and it sums up the return of the darkness in a beautifully simple way).

But I can't help but wonder about the rumored saber opening, and at what stage of the editing process it was cut...

Interestingly, there's no hint of it in the "Art of the Force Awakens" book, so perhaps it was jettisoned much earlier? Do we have any clarity on when JJ made the comment referred to in the OP? It was published on Dec 14, but it could have been an embargoed interview conducted in the summer, for all we know...

 

I'm not complaining because the opening of this film is probably my personal favorite of the Saga.

 

Why did anyone believe the saber opening story to begin with?....there was literally no evidence whatsoever that it even existed.