Release The Abrams Cut Star Wars Petition Nearing Its Goal With TROS Home Release

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might have been one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2019, however, the premiere of the third and final entry in Disney's Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced a whole lot of disappointment in the Star Wars franchise.

Sure, The Rise of Skywalker might have reached more than a billion at the global box office, but the film was a commercial and critical flop, failing to exceed it predecessors both in a financial and critical aspect. While the film does have its fans, quite a number of critics have expressed their disappointment in The Rise of Skywalker, slamming the movie for its excessive use of fan-service.

Most blame director J.J. Abrams for Episode IX's failings, however, there have been rumors suggesting that the filmmaker had different plans for the film and that Disney forced The Rise of Skywalker to pander to the Star Wars fanbase – a move seen by many as a response to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the film's critically-acclaimed predecessor which caused quite the backlash with its subversion and style.

Now that The Rise of Skywalker is finally getting its home release, Cinema Blend reports that the petition demanding that Disney release Abram's original cut for The Rise of Skywalker is gaining a whole lot of traction on Change.org.

"In a nutshell, JJ abrams had a much longer cut of the film and even recommended that it be split into two films at one point. While Disney has promised JJ more creative control over the story, they blindsided him and cut crucial scenes to please investors," Darth Sand the Irritating wrote in his petition asking Disney to release Abram's cut of Episode IX.

Right now the "Release JJ Abram's 3+ hour Cut of Rise of Skywalker" is inching closer to its goal with 7,208 signatures out of 7,500.

We're not quite sure whether 7,500 signatures might be enough to push Disney into releasing the reported Abrams cut (if it does exist) but at least the petition is nearing its goal.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is making its way to Digital HD on March 17, 2020. The film is set to release on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Ultra HD on March 31, 2020.

Read: How Star Wars Rebels' Ending Affected The Clone Wars' Final Season