While still deep in the edit of his long-anticipated film The Way of the Wind, director Terrence Malick appears to be revisiting one of his most polarizing works: To the Wonder (2012). Much like he did with The Tree of Life and The New World, Malick is reportedly assembling an extended version of the film — potentially restoring scenes and storylines left out of the original cut.
The update comes from editor Keith Fraase, who told The Malick Hour, "I know there’s a longer version... that they’ve been working on for a while," though he wasn’t sure what exactly it includes. He speculated it might expand on "a lot more with Ben [Affleck’s] job."
Like many Malick films, To the Wonder lost entire characters in the edit. Cut performances reportedly include Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, Michael Sheen, Amanda Peet, and Barry Pepper.
To the Wonder marked a downturn in Malick’s critical reception. Despite Emmanuel Lubezki’s acclaimed cinematography, the film was seen as narratively thin, landing a 48% Rotten Tomatoes score and 58 on Metacritic. His following films fared similarly, though many view A Hidden Life (2019) as a creative resurgence.
Fraase also hinted at a possible extended Song to Song cut, but said Knight of Cups likely won’t get the same treatment due to a lack of extra footage.
