To add to what crissrudd is saying, I feel like waiting another three years has other advantages for Lucasfilm aside from just the rights issue.
Some people are only just now getting around to buying the 2011 set. I honestly feel like we weren’t going to see a major reissue with actual new content until the time came to put the movies out on the next format. We’re only a year into 4k discs being a thing, and Star Wars has taken a long while to hit each new format.
To me, this is yet another sign pointing to 2020.
That’s another thing I wanted to add. Fact is studios are ALWAYS looking for opportunities to resell their movies. They’re gonna milk as much out of their releases as much as they can til the end of time.
The Graudate was released on DVD/BD just a year or two ago by The Criterion Collection yet a brand new 4K restored print is being screened this year. So there you go. Studios wanna make as much off their movies at every chance they can take.
So the idea that some rerelease of the SW films, home media or theatrical, SE or OUT, will not happen is nonsense. Especially in Disney’s case. They’re not gonna wanna milk in that dough off those highly successful films after 2020? Absurd.
So I have no doubt, especially with home media continuing to evolve, that some new rerelease of the restored SW films will be inevitable. Whether it will have the OUT is another story.
If they really wanna be smart they should include both versions. Either camp is gonna be angered that one is included and not the other so you lose sales right there. Having both at least guarantees a certain percentage of both camps will take a bite. Many SE fans are angered by the coloring of the current sets so having the same SE restored will interest them while the OUT people will finally have their wish.