One of the best movies I saw at Cannes this year was James Gray’s Paper Tiger (read my review), a crime saga starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson that reminded me of the best New Hollywood films of the seventies. Gray is a filmmaker whose career I’ve always closely followed, with each of his movies bearing a distinct creative stamp. Typically, he specializes in lean, emotionally charged urban dramas, although he’s also made two ambitious large-scale films: the period epic The Lost City of Z (an underrated masterpiece, in my estimation) and the Brad Pitt-led sci-fi drama Ad Astra.

While Ad Astra remains Gray’s highest-grossing film, earning $132 million worldwide, it’s generally not considered a success due to its hefty production budget. For years, rumors have circulated that the theatrical version differed significantly from Gray’s original vision. Recently, during Cannes, the director confirmed as much in an excellent interview with Brut (with a shout-out to World of Reel for highlighting it).

James Gray Says He Lost Control of Ad Astra

In the interview, Gray explained that he now deliberately keeps his budgets lower because he wants full creative control over his films.

“I control it (Paper Tiger) completely. I didn’t on Ad Astra. The film was taken away from me. That’s not my cut of the movie.”

When asked why the film was taken away from him, Gray pointed to the movie’s massive $80 million budget — especially compared to the relatively modest $15 million spent on Paper Tiger. He also noted that the sale of 20th Century Fox to Disney played a role in the situation.

What Would James Gray’s Ad Astra Director’s Cut Look Like?

Interestingly, Gray didn’t dismiss the theatrical version outright. When the interviewer admitted they liked Ad Astra (as do I), Gray said he remains proud of certain aspects of the film.

However, he revealed that his preferred cut would actually be shorter than the released version. “I’m the only director who makes movies shorter.”

According to Gray, his version would run roughly twelve minutes less than the theatrical cut.

Could an Ad Astra Director’s Cut Ever Happen?

Gray also sounded optimistic about the possibility of eventually releasing his preferred version of the film. “Someday, maybe hopefully, I’ll do it. It’s not up to me, it’s up to the people who own the film, but I would love to do it. It would be thrilling for me.”

Given the growing popularity of director’s cuts and alternate versions of major studio films, it’s certainly possible that Disney could revisit Ad Astra one day — especially as appreciation for the movie continues to grow among sci-fi fans.

Would you like to see James Gray’s director’s cut of Ad Astra? Let us know in the comments.