Blackhat – Comparing the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts

Blackhat was released on January 15, 2015 (123 minutes) – the Theatrical Cut. This cut of the film had a last minute, last-minute restructuring of the original timeline of the film. Information on why these changes were made and the various versions of the films released over the years can be found here. The Director’s Cut (122 minutes) premiered at a special screening in February 2016, had a limited broadcast run in 2017, and will be released on home video for the first time on November 28, 2023. This is Mann’s preferred version of the film and restores the structure to its original chronology along with other changes.

Below is a list of changes between Theatrical Cut and the Director’s Cut. These comparison changes were made by examining the Blu-ray releases of both those cuts, and the timestamps mentioned will reflect those releases. The changes range from alternate music cues to differing colour schemes to fully added or deleted scenes to minor dialogue tweaks and alternate shots.  This document is an attempt at a completely authoritative list and may be updated to correct any mistakes or future found changes.

Here is a summary of the changes in the Director’s Cut, followed by a more extensive list with corresponding time stamps and screenshots.  

Chronological changes: 

1. The film begins, as intended, with soy hack. 

2. The attack on the nuclear plant is moved about an hour into the film, also reflecting its original placement. 

Added scenes:

1. A brief scene of a cargo ship with soy being denied entry into Rotterdam due to the insurance value of its soy cargo.

2. A formal introduction to FBI Agent Carol Barrett and the Chicago exchange IT Director Jeff Robichaud. Chen Dawai calls them from China to express interest in partnering to solve the hack.

3. Nicholas Hathaway, Mark Jessup and Chen Lien are tailed upon arriving in Hong Kong and subsequently lose the tail.

Removed scenes:

1. Hathaway is asked by the warden about hacking the prison accounting network. When Hathaway refuses to help, he is thrown into solitary and is seen doing vertical pushups. 

2. A brief scene of Barrett and Chen realizing they should be searching for soy sellers instead of soy buyers. 

3. Hathaway and Lien heading to the Koreatown meet in a cab, with the former realizing his attraction to the latter.

4. A nuclear power plant worker explaining to Chen and Hathaway what will happen if they linger in the plant too long.

5. Kassar, Sadak and their bodyguards go to an abandoned building to meet Hathaway. Hathaway, using Lien as a spotter, tells them to lose their team and changes the meet location. 

Read more here.