Slashfilm and Birthmoviesdeath both reported on Bill Hunt’s update from Friday today. They are, of course, jumping to conclusions based on what was technically just pure speculation. The o-neg is not the end all be all. As some have pointed out, they could scan the pieces separately and cut everything together in the computer. But even that is beside the point since they could still use other sources for the unaltered versions.

The most likely scenario to me?

If it happens at all, I think Disney will finally put out the original versions on blu-ray this year but maybe wait until after 2020 to put any of the first six movies out on 4k UHD. For starters, it is too early for them to put out such a high-profile catalogue title on such a new format (yes, I realize Harry Potter begs to differ). It would be milking, plain and simple, and would piss off the not-insignificant number of people who just upgraded their hardware and would probably love to own an unaltered Star Wars in full 4k. BUT, this is a rock and a hard place situation for Disney.

Keeping in mind that the movies were already released on blu-ray six years ago, and a surprisingly large amount of people probably don’t care about the changes (not as much as we do), it would be seen as a nice “here you are in the meantime” gesture. The vast majority of people also haven’t upgraded their hardware to 4k. It would be like when the GOUT was released, only not nearly as bad.

Disney will probably put out TFA and RO on 4k in the meantime. I’m reminded of how TPM was the first Star Wars movie to hit dvd, more than two years after its theatrical release. Then AotC’s dvd was day-and-date with the vhs. Meanwhile, the only mass-market video format you could watch the OT on was still vhs. Lucas wanted to wait until after RotS hit theaters to put out the OT on dvd. Wiser heads prevailed, but it looks like that actually will be what happens with the OT in regards to 4k and the ST simply because of when Fox’s rights to the other five movies expire.