One thing Bill Hunt disregards in his latest post is that an OOT restoration might not be based on the o-neg.
It could be that, like Blade Runner, the o-neg will be used for the current version but other sources (like interpositives and separation masters) could be used for the unaltered versions. This would still produce something much better looking than any fan-restoration could hope to achieve with a 35mm print.
I’m certainly no expert on this. But couldnt they just scan all of the original elements that were cut out of the negatives separately and then digitally reassemble the original cut? I’m just trying to understand why the current state of the o-negs would rule out that an OOT restoration has taken place, as Bill firmly believes.