As our anticipation for The Force Awakens swells to galaxy far far away-sized levels, director J.J. Abrams has been forced to squash rumours that Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o had her part in the film slashed.
U.K. tabloid The Sun were the first to print the rumour that Nyong’o’s performance wasn’t up to scratch, claiming that her part was “massively cut” in the film’s recently-finished edit.
“There was a general sense that something wasn’t working, so a lot of her scenes ended up being either reworked or cut. Unfortunately, she just didn’t end up delivering.”
Their ‘source’ – gotta love ’em – claimed that Nyong’o struggled with the CGI elements of the film, and that her dialogue was ultimately re-recorded.
Abrams returned blaster fire in a statement to The New York Post‘s Page Six, emphatically denying the gossip and saying:
“The number of [rumours] 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.”
“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.”
The U.K. press seems to really have it in for Lupita Nyong’o of late. A few weeks ago, The Daily Mail ran a scathing piece calling her an “ice-cold diva” and a “manipulative bitch” for allegedly snubbing fellow cast members while starring in the play ‘Eclipsed.’
The Force Awakens is being kept under such tight wraps that not even the cast have seen it yet; the film is out on December 17 in Australia.
via The Mirror / Page Six
Photo: Larry Busacca / Jason LaVeris via Getty Images
