WhenStar Wars: The Force Awakenswas released on home video, folks flocked to the Blu-ray to find a fair amount of bonus features, including a somewhat interesting (if limited) documentary on how the film was made. One major aspect missing was an audio commentary by co-writer/directorJ.J. Abrams. To watch one of the biggest films of the 21st century with filmmaker insight was something many fans were looking forward to, and unfortunately it was absent from that initial home video release.
However, this beingStar Warsand all, Disney Home Entertainment continued Lucasfilm’s tradition of the double-dip and this fall released a “Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray ofStar Wars: The Force Awakensthatdoesinclude an audio commentary from Abrams—and it’s a good one to boot! Abrams is funny, insightful, and surprisingly candid given all the secrecy that surrounded the film during its production.
So for those of you interested in what kind of insights are gleaned from the commentary, I listened along and pulled out some of the more fascinating insights. What struck me most was how much of the finished film came from reshoots. We know that Abrams and Co. went back for extensive reshoots throughout 2015, but Abrams points out a number of key scenes and shots that were either altered or crafted entirely during post-production—many times right inside (or outside) the Bad Robot production offices. This is nothing new for Abrams—he employed the same technique onStar Trekand10 Cloverfield Lane—and it’s pretty neat to know that despite the project being as massive asStar Wars, the “kid with a camera” spirit of filmmaking permeated throughout.
So below, separated into categories, are some of the more interestingStar Wars: The Force Awakenstrivia bits gleaned from the audio commentary.
Rey and Finn
Ideas Came from Everywhere
Star Wars: The Force Awakens3D Collector’s Edition is now available to purchase.
