I just had this thought when I was watching ANH:R last night. I understand that you are going to be changing some things between the current form of ANH:R and what will become ANH:R HD. Now what follows isn’t supposed to be inflammatory it was just a thought that I found interesting.
Would you consider the fact that you are tweaking with your version of ANH:R to be almost akin to the way Lucas tweaked with the standard ANH. We’re coming upon the same dilemma where the original ANH:R will not be available in an HD format, just like the OUT is not available in HD formats. You changed your mind about some decisions that were made and want this new HD version to be the definitive version of the films, yet there are people (like me) that would just like to see the current ANH:R but in HD.
I’m not sure this equates completely, but I feel like you could understand Lucas’s mindset on why the Special Editions exist in the first place. I also recall a popular argument for why the Special Editions are bad is because they supersede the Original Versions. That same thing is now going to happen with ANH:R. I’m not trying to be accusatory, I just thought this was something as a community that we could discuss.
The original version is not possible to rerelease in HD as it was. I forget why, I think the original assets are gone, but regardless, the original version can’t be rereleased. With the Theatrical Versions of the movies, they absolutely can be rereleased.
ANH:RHD is not ANH:R in HD, or ANH:R 2.0, it’s its own project, from scratch, just with the same purpose as ANH:R, and its inspiration. I think that alone justifies making changes.
I mean, the original effects were rendered at 480p and were done a decade ago 8 hard drives ago, that’s why he has to redo them.
But you’re absolutely right as this is basically a new edit, using the original edit as a guide. Ady has learned a lot in the last decade, so some things he didn’t do as well as he thought he could will be done just as he wants, and faster and better.