You would assume that notes from producers and editors regarding Guardians of the Galaxy would read, "More Groot." And yet, while speaking at Variety’s Entertainment & Technology Summit, Guardians director James Gunn explained that there’s a longer version of a beloved scene that involved Groot betraying his best friend, Rocket Raccoon. Well, sort of…
Variety reports from its own event, catching up with James Gunn as he continues his victory lap on the heels of his movie earning $732 million worldwide. While talking about his favorite scenes in the movie, he singles out that sequence where Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) fake laughs his way through Peter Quill’s "plan." Gunn says that the deleted and extended scenes that will be included on the Guardians of the Galaxy disc will go a long way to developing who these characters are. And of that scene, he notes:
"In the long version of the scene where Rocket is laughing at Quill, Quill gets very offended by that and takes a vote of the other Guardians to see who thinks that the laugh is fake. It’s a pretty fake laugh, and I think Rocket gets hurt that Groot goes against him."
A house, divided! Do you remember the scene? Check it out below:
Now, part of me understands why James Gunn and others behind the scenes would think that there’s only so much that you can do with Groot. He only says a few words – mostly, "I am Groot." And if you needed to shave off a few minutes of your final film, you could trim a few lines setting up the next Groot gag, and simplify a sequence.
This is what James Gunn will wrestle with as he prepares for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which will be in theaters in 2017. As part of Variety’s event, Gunn admitted that he spent the days following the release of Guardians writing the sequel. He said:
I was so excited about it and I was finally able to let go of the last one and begin the second one. I always saw this as a universe, not just as one story."
He even teased the opening of the sequel, though he might be joking. "What happens is all the characters are killed in the first 10 minutes. In really horribly brutal fashion."
Look for that bloody opening when Guardians of the Galaxy 2 opens in 2017.
