George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Then call it The George Lucas Edition. Has a nice ring to it.
The Special Edition moniker still works- they are short bus special.
It seems like people are really embracing the new characters. In fact, the big question people ask me now about Star Wars is, “Are Finn and Poe gay lovers?” And really how the f*ck would I know? My second husband left me for a man, so my gaydar isn’t exactly what you’d call Death Star level quality. ----Carrie Fisher
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Then call it The George Lucas Edition. Has a nice ring to it.
Here’s how I’d want the films to be addressed
1977 Theatrical Cut
1997 Special Edition
2004 Special Edition
2011 Final Cut
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Then call it The George Lucas Edition. Has a nice ring to it.
Here’s how I’d want the films to be addressed
1977 Theatrical Cut
1997 Special Edition
2004 Special Edition
2011 Final Cut
“Final cut” implies some level of decisiveness, which is practically the complete antithesis of the Special Editions.
What, a man builds a giant mound of dirt in his house and you aren’t entertained?
“Special Edition” has an “improved” connotation. It can be argued for 1997, but 2004/2011, complete ass. Needs a more neutral title now.
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Lucas does not seem to care about the term or position of a ‘Director’. In the ROTJ audio commentary he talks about how the trilogy is supposed to mimic the old saturday matinee serials and how the position of the ‘Executive Producer’ was the most important person at this kind of entertainment. He over-justifies his position as a producer basically. But at the same time he devaluates the responsibility & importance of the actual director.
Rogue One is redundant. Just play the first mission of DARK FORCES.
The hallmark of a corrupt leader: Being surrounded by yes men.
‘The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly.’ - V.E.S.
‘Star Wars is a buffet, enjoy the stuff you want, and leave the rest.’ - SilverWook
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Then call it The George Lucas Edition. Has a nice ring to it.
Here’s how I’d want the films to be addressed
1977 Theatrical Cut
1997 Special Edition
2004 Special Edition
2011 Final Cut
Well there were at least 2 different theatrical cuts in 1977, there was a theatrical cut from 1978 (even though just the audio mix was new), there was a theatrical version in 1981 (Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope)…
Getting the original 77 theatrical Star Wars as a single release, then all three OT theatrical with the episode number. Followed by all three 97 special edition theatrical, would sure be neat. But it also is all such a mess, you can understand why no one deals with it, and they just move forward.
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Then call it The George Lucas Edition. Has a nice ring to it.
Here’s how I’d want the films to be addressed
1977 Theatrical Cut
1997 Special Edition
2004 Special Edition
2011 Final CutWell there were at least 2 different theatrical cuts in 1977, there was a theatrical cut from 1978 (even though just the audio mix was new), there was a theatrical version in 1981 (Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope)…
This highlights the whole problem from George’s POV. If Star Wars is a multi-film saga, there can’t be any rough drafts.
Hey, don’t be knocking on fritters.
The Italian zucchini fritters are delicious!
I like the short bit being an image leading to the longer letter.
The longer letter would have to go on the front page of the site.
Right. I was going to ask Ady if I could RT it from the SWR account, I’ll ask about FB too.
Have you talked to him yet?
Oh yeah, he doesn’t have a problem endorsing it.
Star Wars Revisited Wordpress
Star Wars Visual Comparisons WordPress
I’m sure Disney appreciates preserving their film assets. They have worked on Song Of The South, even if they’re not going to let anyone see it before 2525. 😉
Disney recently said tht the OT negs are still all cut to the SE and that they had no plans to change that.
They did say that they had scanned all of the elements that they had, including the removed OT elements, but that there were no plans to reconform to create a restored original trilogy.
So although what remains of the wonder that I had when first seeing Star Wars still remains, I find it hard to hold out any hope that they will ever restore and release an Original Trilogy.
It will very shortly be the case that the Special Editions will have been out for longer than the Original Versions were before the SE came along.
It is frustrating, because with the technology available now, a full commercial OT restoration of ALL THREE films could be done for under a million USD and by people who really know the film.
(1/8th of what they spent restoring just the soundtrack a few years back)
There is almost no chance they couldn’t recoup that, especially if they did a limited Cinema release as well.
The company I work for could complete each film within about three months if the funding was there, it is such a shame that Disney does not want to do it.
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Help get The Original Trilogy preserved!
I know people have already posted this, but it was confirmed in a digital bits interview a few months ago: (https://tr.im/1c09C)
"We’ve essentially confirmed that Disney’s current 4K scan of the film is the most recent revised version (essentially the latest “special edition”), not the original theatrical edition. What’s more, Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation, Theo Gluck, held a special event at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts last night, a presentation called Animation Restoration at Walt Disney Studios. Gluck was asked there about Star Wars and reported that the original cut negative for the film currently exists in its “SE” configuration only."
When asked if there were any plans for an OT restoration, the answer was no:
"Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation Theo Gluck, and 20th Century Fox’s Senior VP of Library and Tech Services Shawn Belston have confirmed to the outlet that no such work on a reconstruction has begun."
https://tr.im/1c09C
More recently, about 16 minutes into this interview, Kathleen Kennedy seems to rule it out:
https://omny.fm/shows/steele-wars/ep-131-3-star-wars-celebration-orlando-day-2-the-l
So, it looks like the will just isn’t there.
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Help get The Original Trilogy preserved!
We’re still going to be the fly in their ointment.
Would they have really gone back and redone the 2011 changes in 4K?
Where were you in '77?
Of course they did. What would Star Wars be without that rock.
Also, they better have upscaled Hayden Christenson’s head.
I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.
I’m sort of caught up to speed on “Star Wars” in 4K. I came across Mike Vetra’s vimeo videos where he showed off his cleanup work/commentary. Sadly, I read that Mike would face serious legal action for ever releasing his “Legacy Edition”.
But then there’s Project 4K77, which I assume to be separate from Mike’s work. Even still, it’s such a shame that we may never get to see a cleaned up/restored 35mm scan, at least to the degree and clarity shown in some of the clips from Mike or Project 4K77. This is what comes down to right? If the quality is consistent and crisp, then that’s a threat, but so long as it’s inconsistent, like Harmy’s Despecialized version (note: I’m not knocking on his work at all and really appreciate it), then it gets to fly under the radar.
Am I understanding that correctly? For a brief while, when I read this topic, I kept thinking, “There’s nothing to worry; if Disney won’t give us what we want, the fans will”. Seems like that won’t be the case after all.
The Rise of Failures
I’m sort of caught up to speed on “Star Wars” in 4K. I came across Mike Vetra’s vimeo videos where he showed off his cleanup work/commentary. Sadly, I read that Mike would face serious legal action for ever releasing his “Legacy Edition”.
But then there’s Project 4K77, which I assume to be separate from Mike’s work. Even still, it’s such a shame that we may never get to see a cleaned up/restored 35mm scan, at least to the degree and clarity shown in some of the clips from Mike or Project 4K77. This is what comes down to right? If the quality is consistent and crisp, then that’s a threat, but so long as it’s inconsistent, like Harmy’s Despecialized version (note: I’m not knocking on his work at all and really appreciate it), then it gets to fly under the radar.
Am I understanding that correctly? For a brief while, when I read this topic, I kept thinking, “There’s nothing to worry; if Disney won’t give us what we want, the fans will”. Seems like that won’t be the case after all.
This thread was started almost three years ago because it came to light that Reliance Media Works had made a new 4k master of the OT. This past December, Gareth Edwards confirmed having watched it (ANH at least, if not the other two) right after he was hired back in May of 2014, which was right before this thread was started.
Naturally, it’s the SE. We know this because of the info Poita quoted above.
Meanwhile, as you said, there’s Legacy and 4K77. Verta cannot release Legacy, that’s correct. I’m not sure what the situation with 4K77 is, though.
In any event, this thread has basically become the go-to for discussion of any possibility of an official restoration of the original versions as well. However, as has also been noted, the people in charge remain silent on the matter.
I know people have already posted this, but it was confirmed in a digital bits interview a few months ago: (https://tr.im/1c09C)
"We’ve essentially confirmed that Disney’s current 4K scan of the film is the most recent revised version (essentially the latest “special edition”), not the original theatrical edition. What’s more, Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation, Theo Gluck, held a special event at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts last night, a presentation called Animation Restoration at Walt Disney Studios. Gluck was asked there about Star Wars and reported that the original cut negative for the film currently exists in its “SE” configuration only."
When asked if there were any plans for an OT restoration, the answer was no:
"Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation Theo Gluck, and 20th Century Fox’s Senior VP of Library and Tech Services Shawn Belston have confirmed to the outlet that no such work on a reconstruction has begun."
https://tr.im/1c09CMore recently, about 16 minutes into this interview, Kathleen Kennedy seems to rule it out:
https://omny.fm/shows/steele-wars/ep-131-3-star-wars-celebration-orlando-day-2-the-lSo, it looks like the will just isn’t there.
That LRM article is misleading. Because Nowhere in the original digital bits article did Bill Hunt quote the Disney guy as saying that there was no reconstruction effort going on. They never addressed that specifically during the event. That was just Bill Hunt speculating, and that article states Bill’s speculation as fact.
I’ve actually talked to Bill Hunt about it. He doesn’t know anything or at least he didn’t when that article was written. It was all speculation.
Also on the Kathleen Kennedy interview. That audio clip you posted is heavily edited. Watch the unedited video. It’s obvious that she initially has no idea what he is talking about, and then he actually specifies at the end about making changes to the “special editions” to which she replies that she wouldn’t touch those.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZO0_yYvmxo
Now all that being said, do I believe they have plans to release it? No, not really. I will be pretty shocked if it actually happens this year or in the near future. But there hasn’t been any definitive statement yet from someone at Disney/Lucasfilm that rules it out.
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
If they can blow off George’s sequel ideas
Since no one has read GL’s synopsis, we don’t know that. But I know for sure that Episode VII and Rogue One have MASSIVELY used and recycled his ideas from the OT and the PT 😄
George can make all the changes he wants. Just label it as a separate director’s cut, not the only version that should exist.
George isn’t the director for 66% of the OOT! ;D
Lucas does not seem to care about the term or position of a ‘Director’. In the ROTJ audio commentary he talks about how the trilogy is supposed to mimic the old saturday matinee serials and how the position of the ‘Executive Producer’ was the most important person at this kind of entertainment. He over-justifies his position as a producer basically. But at the same time he devaluates the responsibility & importance of the actual director.
My Respect-for-George-Lucas-O-Meter is going through the floor.
I know people have already posted this, but it was confirmed in a digital bits interview a few months ago: (https://tr.im/1c09C)
"We’ve essentially confirmed that Disney’s current 4K scan of the film is the most recent revised version (essentially the latest “special edition”), not the original theatrical edition. What’s more, Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation, Theo Gluck, held a special event at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts last night, a presentation called Animation Restoration at Walt Disney Studios. Gluck was asked there about Star Wars and reported that the original cut negative for the film currently exists in its “SE” configuration only."
When asked if there were any plans for an OT restoration, the answer was no:
"Disney’s director of Library Restoration and Preservation Theo Gluck, and 20th Century Fox’s Senior VP of Library and Tech Services Shawn Belston have confirmed to the outlet that no such work on a reconstruction has begun."
https://tr.im/1c09CMore recently, about 16 minutes into this interview, Kathleen Kennedy seems to rule it out:
https://omny.fm/shows/steele-wars/ep-131-3-star-wars-celebration-orlando-day-2-the-lSo, it looks like the will just isn’t there.
Most of this has been discussed already. Saying ‘no such work on a reconstruction has begun’ does not confirm there are zero plans for a potential restoration in the future. Also the Kennedy interview has also been brought up. She said she wouldn’t ‘touch those’ which in the context of the question she essentially confirmed there will be no more alterations made to the films. This also does not rule a potential release including both cuts!
Jedit: Cobra Kai basically beat me to this.
I feel like they could plausibly release the theatrical versions shortly after the Blu-Ray release of Ep. 9, possibly as some kind of 9 (or 11) movie box set.
Tomorrow is a new holiday. I’m calling it Despecialized Day.
The official site now has a 40th anniversary hub, but as expected not a single frame or still, that’s not a production photo or behind the scenes photo, looks even remotely like the theatrical release. There’s a section devoted to the Star Wars frames book (2013), all of which originate from the bluray master. As far as the official site is concerned the OT films exist in one form only, the final cuts. The theatrical versions are dead and burried.
Time to go rob some graves then. Who’s with me? 😉
Where were you in '77?
Time to go rob some graves then. Who’s with me? 😉
Great picture! Time to haunt Disney and Lucasfilm: the ghost of Star Wars past.