Culture

Red, White & Royal Blue fans are demanding the original 3-hour version

By Sam Damshenas

16th August 2023

Fans are ‘not resting’ until the original cut of Red, White & Royal Blue is released.

In a recent interview with US Magazine, director Matthew Lopez revealed that the Prime Video rom-com, which is 121 minutes, was originally three-hours.

Based on Casey McQuiston’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue follows the romance between Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of America’s first female president (Uma Thurman), and Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), a British prince.

Lopez, the Tony Award-winning creator and writer of The Inheritance, said he had a “very, very different job” from the author due to the budget and time limitations that come with making a film, with “time being the most pressing one”.

“What I’ve been saying to people is like, ‘Well, take the number of hours the audiobook lasts and subtract it by two, and that’s what was left out of the movie,'” he said, before explaining that his adaptation is “about Alex and Henry first”.

“And first, middle, and last, everything, every decision that I made as the director of this film had to flow into, is it right for Alex and is it right for Henry? And is it right for them as a couple?

“I watched the movie for the first time at the three-hour version of the movie that I first was given by my editor — and everything that wasn’t Alex and Henry had to go.”

Lopez continued: “I [felt], like, you’re taking me away from what I care most about, which is Alex and Henry in the movie. So my job as the filmmaker is to deliver Alex and Henry safely on to the end of the film.”

Following the release of Lopez’s interview with US Magazine and Red, White & Royal Blue on Prime Video, fans have launched a change.org petition demanding the original three-hour cut.

They list five “compelling reasons” as to why a director’s cut is needed: faithful representation; deeper character development; enhanced storytelling; engaging bonus features; and meeting fan expectations. It currently has over 2,000 signatures.

Fans also came out in droves on social media, sharing official stills and scenes from the trailer that didn’t make the final cut.

“Now can you please release the director’s cut since you left out a lot of (cute, important, meaningful) scenes?” tweeted one viewer, while another wrote: “I want the three hours, in fact I would kill for the extra hour of content. I’m starved at this point.”

According to Prime Video’s social media channels, Red, White & Royal Blue is currently the number one movie worldwide.

Upon release, the film received acclaim for its faithfulness to the source material and the chemistry between Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine.

The synopsis reads: “Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the President of the United States, and Britain’s Prince Henry have a lot in common: Stunning good looks, undeniable charisma, international popularity … and a total disdain for each other.

“Separated by an ocean, their long-running feud hasn’t really been an issue, until a disastrous—and very public—altercation at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder, driving a potential wedge in U.S./British relations at the worst possible time.

“Going into damage-control mode, their families and handlers force the two rivals into a staged “truce.” But as Alex and Henry’s icy relationship unexpectedly begins to thaw into a tentative friendship, the friction that existed between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.”

The cast also includes Clifton Collins Jr., Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, Stephen Fry, Ellie Bamber, Thomas Flynn, Malcolm Atobrah, Akshay Khanna, Sharon D Clarke, Aneesh Sheth and Juan Castano.

Red, White & Royal Blue is now streaming on Prime Video.

Watch the trailer here or below.