Even after nine mainline movies in the Star Wars franchise, Revenge of the Sith is arguably one of the most important.
Flawed though it may be, George Lucas’ all-star actioner helped join the dots between one galactic era and the next, while also pinpointing the precise moment when Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. So it’s fair to say a lot transpires during Episode III of the Star Wars saga – not least the moment when Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine executes Order 66 and ostensibly wipes out the Jedi Order we know and love.
Turns out that fateful scene could’ve been darker still, as McDiarmid revealed during Salt Lake City’s FanX event this past weekend (h/t ComicBook.com), though George Lucas ultimately decided against excessive violence in order to retain the film’s PG-13 rating.
“I think it was a little more gruesome than you ended up seeing, you know. A lot of young potential Jedi ended up on the cutting room floor,” said the actor.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith isn’t short of haunting imagery – the scene of young Anakin being set ablaze on Mustafar is dark enough as it is without offering more screentime to Order 66 and, based on McDiarmid’s comments, showcasing the moment when Anakin cuts through a number of younglings in the Jedi Council.
Besides, George Lucas has always said that the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy catered to a younger audience what with its lavish visuals, melodrama and goofy characters (i.e. Jar Jar Binks), so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the director curtailed his original vision for the execution of Order 66 – just don’t ever expect the initial cut to be released online for our viewing pleasure.