J.J. Abrams is shooting down rumors he’s axed several of Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o’s scenes from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” because her performance was subpar.
UK paper The Sun said Nyong’o’s “role has been massively cut in the finished edit” and that “there was a general sense that something wasn’t working so a lot of her scenes ended up being either reworked or cut.”
But Abrams told Page Six in a statement: “The number of rumors floating around about ‘The Force Awakens’ is truly stunning. Some are wonderfully funny, others simply preposterous. But the only one more ridiculous than Jar Jar Binks being a Sith Lord is that I cut Lupita Nyong’o’s performance because it wasn’t satisfactory.”
The director added: “In truth, her performance wasn’t satisfactory. It was spectacular. She has brought the character of Maz Kanata to life in the most wonderful, wise, touching, deep and funny way. Lupita never ceased to amaze me. Yes, we tried many approaches, and we finally landed on just what the film needed. She elevated all the scenes she is in, I’m forever grateful, and can’t wait for people to see her stunning performance.”
An insider added: “The movie hasn’t been screened, so no one, including Lupita, has seen it.”