The filmmaking process can be quite incredibly complex, as it features a multitude of hurdles. That was the case for Shooting Stars – the newly released high school biopic centered on LeBron James and his fellow “Fab Five” teammates. In the case of this film, director Chris Robinson had to oversee a number of high-energy basketball sequences, which took some time to craft. However, what also proved to be challenging was the editing process, which saw the creative team cut more than a few scenes, including a particularly emotional one. This was necessary, though, given the movie’s crazy, original runtime.
I had the opportunity to speak with Chris Robinson ahead of Shooting Stars’ release, and he provided some fascinating details on the post-production process. One of the questions I had pertained to deleted scenes, as it’s fairly common that not all footage is included in a the completed production. To my surprise, a considerable amount of material was left on the cutting room floor. And I honestly couldn’t believe it when Robinson revealed just how long his director’s cut was:
Well, first thing I'll tell you is the first cut of this movie was three and a half hours. So let's start there [laughs]. So there's a lot of stuff that's on the cutting room floor. And as a director, it's hard, right? Because you think, ‘Oh, we need everything.’ But the more we kind of cut the fat and got to the story, I think we made the right decisions.
Shooting Stars clocks in at 115 minutes so, needless to say, a lot of material was removed from the finished product. The editing process can be difficult because, as the ATL director explained, it’s tempting to want to keep the bulk of one’s footage. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to what makes the most sense for the story. That doesn’t mean a person still won’t wish that they would’ve been able to fit in a particular scene or sequence, though. The filmmaker went on to reveal one discarded moment that involves actors Wood Harris and Caleb McLaughlin, who play father and son Dru Joyce II and “Little Dru,” respectively:
One scene in particular was a very emotional scene between Coach Dru and Little Dru, where they were reconciling. But the emotion was so big that after that scene, it kind of felt like, ‘Well, we really don't have any more story to tell.’ Like if we put this scene in here, you can't continue to rise. And sometimes in a movie, you need to pace tone and crescendo, to get our audience, you know? You've been on this ride this whole time, you want to get the audience all the way to the end and a certain feeling. So it's such a beautiful scene, it was acted so well. Wood Harris is just, you know, one of the best ever. Caleb McLaughlin is a young King in what he does as far as being an actor. But I have it on a hard drive somewhere so I can watch it when I feel like it.
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Without going too deep into details, both Coach Dru and his namesake find themselves at odds, at one point, over his position on the St. Vincent–St. Mary High School varsity team. The scene Chris Robinson describes could’ve been a nice addition to the film, especially considering the talents of the stars involved. But again, you have to consider what makes sense to the story you’re trying to tell. I’d give Robinson the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his creative decisions, as he’s a seasoned director. Plus, he had the support of EP LeBron James, who gave him an invaluable “gift” amid production.
A number of scenes may have been taken out of the movie, but rest assured that there are still plenty of other great moments to enjoy. On top of that, the story is relatively tight and mostly services its main characters well. Though I’d be lying if I said I’m not interested in seeing an extended cut.
Check out Shooting Stars as released by streaming it with a Peacock subscription. You can also take a look at the schedule of 2023 new movie releases for information on other features or read up on some of the best sports films and how to watch them.
