My 1st Blog: Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' Re-Release: Five Secrets Revealed

Friday, February 25, 2011

Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' Re-Release: Five Secrets Revealed

Director Jon M. Chu reveals more about the 40 minutes of new footage fans will see this weekend.
By Eric Ditzian

Justin Bieber in "Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount

By now, most citizens of Bieber nation have undoubtedly canceled all weekend plans, purchased advance tickets for the super-size version of "Never Say Never," and are plotting the most stress-free path toward the multiplex to catch the revamped film's arrival in 3-D theaters on Friday (February 25).

But what exactly will you find up on the big screen when you slip on those purple 3-D glasses just three weeks after the original flick debuted? Team Bieber has promised over half an hour of new Justin-approved video, including fresh performances, footage from pre-release screenings and further glimpses at Justin's downtime with his pals.

That's a little vague for our liking, so we hit up director Jon M. Chu for some insight into what's being touted as a "Director's Fan Cut." While Chu lamented that he didn't get a chance to shoot Bieber's fresh haircut in 3-D for the revamped flick, he did reveal five secrets to keep an eye out for when the new "Never Say Never" arrives in theaters.

There Are 40 Minutes of New Footage, Not 30
In a YouTube video announcement, Chu told fans that the new version would include 30 minutes of new footage. But a subsequent Paramount press release pegged the number at 40 minutes. So which is it?

"That was my mistake!" laughed Chu. "I didn't time it out. I was like, 'I'll just say over 30 minutes, and we'll be good to go. But they timed it and it is 40 minutes. The point is, there's a crapload of stuff in there.

"We originally had a two-and-a-half-hour version of the movie, which we obviously couldn't release," he added. "So we started to think about putting stuff back in that didn't have to do with our story but that we knew people would love."

"Omaha Mall" Is Coming for You
This rock/rap tune became a fan favorite after Bieber posted it on YouTube, and the reworked "Never Say Never" will pull back the curtain on the song's creation for the first time on the big screen.

"We see the creation of 'Omaha Mall' and how that came to be," Chu told us. "We also get to see way more baby videos. We sit on a lot more shots, so it's like you're sitting with him in the living room, just watching."

Get Ready for Bieber's Abs
"Twilight" fans know what to expect when they hit the multiplex for the first viewing of a franchise film: Taylor Lautner without a shirt on. But Beliebers may have been surprised — and, no doubt, delighted — to sit down for "Never Say Never" and be treated to scene after scene of Justin sans T-shirt. When it comes to the new version, fans should expect even more skin.

"I can't confirm nor deny those reports, but we do what the fans want," Chu laughed. "If that's what the fans want, then they'll get a little bit more. Maybe some abs!"

You'll Truly See What It's Like to Be Bieber's Buddy
Such is the effect of Bieber Fever that the singer's friends, Ryan Butler and Chaz Somer, have become stars in their own right. And while they pop up a bit in the movie, Chu said that fans couldn't get enough of these two Canadian teens.

"Chaz and Ryan have their own followings, and one of the biggest pieces of feedback we got is that fans want more Chaz and Ryan," the director said. "In this version, we get to see what it's like to be part of the entourage. We go to their homes in Stratford. People call from all around the world and disrupt their dinners. It's absolutely insane. They're superstars."

Hello, "Favorite Girl"!
While the re-cut flick introduces 40 minutes of new footage, the overall running time is only 10 minutes longer. So what did Chu cut? He took out Bieber's lengthy, pre-MSG visit to the doctor, added in new scenes of tickets being given away outside concerts and swapped out some performances that didn't make it into the original release.

"Before we had to make a choice between 'Favorite Girl' and 'Never Let You Go,' because they're the same [in-concert] set-up with the heart," he said. "We couldn't play both. So this time, we made the choice to have 'Favorite Girl,' which is one of my favorite songs that he plays. People are going to love it."

Check out everything we've got on "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

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