'Fan Cut' of Bieber flick planned

HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Paramount's Insurge Pictures says it will release "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" Director's Fan Cut for a weeklong run in U.S. and Canadian theaters.

The studio called its decision to release a revamped version of the movie three weekends into its initial premiere "unprecedented."

The Fan Cut edition of the music film will feature an additional 40 minutes of footage and is to open Friday in 3-D theaters in North America.

"I realized I had an embarrassment of riches when I was in the cutting room," director Jon M. Chu said in a statement Monday. "This cut allows me to retain some of the best scenes from the original movie, while incorporating previously unseen footage and new material I shot during our extensive promotional tour on behalf of the movie. Justin's dedication to his fan base is unwavering and I was inspired as a filmmaker to attempt to provide them a unique experience that showed even more of his world."

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" opened nationwide Feb. 11 and earned $30 million in its initial weekend.

"It is a testament to the professionalism and tenacity of Jon and the production team for turning around this new version of 'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' Director's Fan Cut' in only a few months, giving fans an even deeper look into Justin's life," added Adam Goodman, president of the Paramount Film Group.