I hope they offer the original versions at the very least as an option versus the "improved" versions, even films like The Phantom Menace that have had some tampering done with them over the years. Considering that there's a high quality scan of at least the first (in order of release) Star Wars floating around even just throwing that in would be better than the LaserDisc rip they went with in 2006. Conversely I wonder if Disney/LucasFilm themselves have ever considered making their own "improvements" to the films in the past several years. Disney aren't exactly shy about "fixing" up their own classics like cutting a scene from Dumbo for being too racist or not releasing them at all like Song of the South.
What do you mean they don't exist? They use to be on VCR tapes. Maybe I worded it wrongly but "Star Wars" was around before the first special editions in I think it was 1997. Jason
Changes were made to the films while they were still in theaters. The versions of the films that people think of as being the original versions are actually edited cuts.
Actually both of those versions would be nice but I think what people want are the versions they grew up with and have watched a million times by now. Jason
I think a HD version of the classic films would actually make tons of money. I mean it's "Star Wars" afterall. Also demand is high because people have been wanting this ever since the first time they felt let down by the alterations. Jason
I think you are grossly overestimating the amount of people who give a crap about an "issue" like this.
"Star Wars" isn't just some random movie franchise. Those movies are cultural Icons. I'm pretty sure their are people who would buy this who don't even have any interest in the Disney stuff. Even the prequels and those were also made by George Lucas. Those first 3 films are special in away nothing else in "Star Wars" will ever be, even when it's done well. Jason
What they basically want is a remastered version of the first VHS releases, or at least the first box set after the release of Return of the Jedi, since that was what most people saw before the Special Edition came out, and the version that is probably the most fondly remembered prior to the Special Edition.
The vast majority of the people who would potentially buy a Complete Saga boxset are unlikely to care if said boxset contains "unchanged" copies of Episodes 4, 5, and 6, and there is not a large enough portion of those who identify themselves as part of the Star Wars fan community and care about the changes that have been made to warrant Lucasfilm spending the time, money, and effort to find or manufacture cuts of the Original Trilogy that "undo" said changes.
Considering I bought the VHS Vader/Stormtrooper/Yoda version, the Special Editions, the DVDs and the Blu-rays (or 4K Blu-rays, in the case of The Last Jedi and Solo), all I can say to Disney is.... TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!
I'll take any of them. Just give me back Han Solo shooting first, dump the musical number in Jabba's palace and enough with the bad CGI animals walking around Mos Eisley and Tattonie. Especially the one who actually walks in front of the screen and you can't see what is going on. Plus the tiny robot droids from "Phantom Menace." and we will call it even. Jason
I'm one of the few that doesn't have much problem with the special editions beyond Han shot first. I'd go as far as to say most of the changes are beneficial or at least neutral. I'm excited for this re-release and hopefully some improvements to the CGI in the prequels.
I don't have a problem with the special editions, beyond their existence makes getting the actual originals harder to get.
I was thinking something about the classic movies. I might be wrong but I think the only place you can watch them,well the special editions anyways, is TBS. That means they won't be on the Disney streaming service. I could see them not going with the HD upgade over the pre-special editons because in theory that would only benefit TBS in streaming and they have fully bought into the steaming fad and feel it wouldn't be worth putting it on disks. Perhaps someday when they pry them away from TBS or basically buy TBS which also makes since because soon Disney will own everything, then that is when they will update them. Jason
TBS likely has the broadcast rights for a limited time. Even with those rights, it wouldn't stop Disney from selling new versions on disc and digital.
I know they could sell them on discs but they might figure all the money is in streaming rights. As for TBS I think I read where TBS has those rights for quite awhile actually. That Disney tried to get them but they didn't budge. Not sure if that is true or not though. Jason