Skip to main content

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' clip gives JJ Abrams' take on Rey's 'Forceback'

star wars the last jedi daisy ridley force awakens rey
Disney
Star Wars fans are going to get a closer look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens when the 3D collector’s edition is released on November 15, but in the meantime, we’re getting a taste of the new bonus features to come.

The latest episode of The Star Wars Show unveiled a clip from the film’s audio commentary that offers insight from J.J. Abrams on Rey’s “Forceback.” In it, the director discusses the flashback that Daisy Ridley’s character had when she touched Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, including how he chose which parts of the past to include and what got cut. With the scene being an important one, Abrams’ breakdown is especially welcome.

It turns out that “there were many iterations” of the “Forceback” scene, including one in which Rey saw Darth Vader fighting Luke. As we now know, that version was nixed, but it was for good reason; instead, Abrams says they wanted to show a “more personal story” for Rey.

“She was being confronted with truths about the Force, about the past. The Knights of Ren here, the past for herself,” Abrams says in the clip. “She realizes that the cries she heard were actually her own cries as a young girl being taken away from her family. And then she hears a voice, ‘Rey,’ and that’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

The resulting scene is powerful, and it’s interesting to hear the work that went on behind the scenes to ensure it would be. The clip should pique fans’ curiosity about what other treasures can be found in the commentary contained in the 3D collector’s edition. Beyond that, they can look forward to additional special features, including never-before-shared deleted scenes and further insight from the film’s cast and crew.

Watch the clip below, with the section of interest starting at 1:55.

Battlefront VR News, The Force Awakens Commentary Preview, and Doug Chiang | The Star Wars Show

The 3D collector’s edition is available overseas on October 31 and in the U.S. on November 15.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Star Wars will give the holiday special another try on Disney+ with Legos
lego star wars holiday special disney plus 01

Just when Star Wars fans were starting to successfully repress the shame of 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special, the franchise will return to Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk for another attempt at celebrating Life Day.

This time it's going to be different, though, because The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special has, well, Legos.

Read more
Disney delays Star Wars, Avatar releases, takes Mulan off schedule
questions star wars the rise of skywalker needs to answer

The coronavirus has shaken up Disney's biggest franchises -- and Star Wars is the latest to be affected.

Disney announced Thursday it would push back the releases of the next set of Star Wars movies as well as James Cameron's Avatar sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The live-action Mulan remake, which was originally supposed to release in March, has also been taken off its theatrical release calendar.

Read more
Celebrate Star Wars Day by taking advantage of cheap Star Wars games
Cal fighting the Ninth Sister in Jedi Fallen Order.

May the force be with you on May 4, also known as Star Wars Day. In honor of the unofficial holiday, Disney is discounting many Star Wars video games across all consoles and PC, including the new Star War Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Battlefront II.

Fallen Order is on sale for $36, Star Wars Battlefront II is available for just $8, and BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic RPGs for less than $4. The majority of the digital deals end the next day, but PlayStation's deals last until next week.

Read more