Reshoots Made That Rey/Kylo Ren Duel Even More Awesome

Rogue One has been under a ton of scrutiny lately, mostly as a result of persistent rumors that the film needed extensive reshoots. The cast and producers have insisted that reshoots are a normal part of the process, and now, a new clip from J.J. Abrams' commentary on The Force Awakens is reminding us that reshoots can actually be a good thing.
In this clip from the director's commentary on the special edition Force Awakens Blu-ray, which comes out next month, Abrams described how the amazing duel between Rey and Kylo Ren was made even better during reshoots. First, there's a moment in which Rey stops in the middle of the duel to allow the Force to flow through her. Originally, she was just supposed to call Kylo a "monster," and then push him back, which would have been significantly less exciting and important to the new mythology.


And, as a fun fact, he revealed that he re-shot the scene in order to include a shot requested by Ava Duvernay, who saw an early version of the film. She wanted Abrams to have "one really cool moment" during Rey's attack on Kylo, which shows her looking fierce in close-up.


The special edition 3-D Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out on November 15.
In this clip from the director's commentary on the special edition Force Awakens Blu-ray, which comes out next month, Abrams described how the amazing duel between Rey and Kylo Ren was made even better during reshoots. First, there's a moment in which Rey stops in the middle of the duel to allow the Force to flow through her. Originally, she was just supposed to call Kylo a "monster," and then push him back, which would have been significantly less exciting and important to the new mythology.

"She has this incredibly internal moment... where she basically feels [the Force], accepts it, and is now ready to kick his ass."

And, as a fun fact, he revealed that he re-shot the scene in order to include a shot requested by Ava Duvernay, who saw an early version of the film. She wanted Abrams to have "one really cool moment" during Rey's attack on Kylo, which shows her looking fierce in close-up.

"It's a little thing, but it really connects you to her intensity," Abrams said.

The special edition 3-D Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out on November 15.