I tried to edit the OT into a 3 in 1 movie, I consider it a failure.
For one, 3 in 1 prequel edits work because the prequels have a ton of filler, and the OT doesn’t really. There is a ton of stuff you could cut (the point of my 3 in 1 edit was to have one single Death Star, so obviously the Death Star attack in ANH could go), but not nearly as much. I couldn’t really get it shorter than 3h55, and I cheated by speeding it up from 23.976 FPS to 25 FPS.
Secondly, I felt like having the Jabba’s Palace sequence in the same movie as Han getting frozen in carbonite was… bad? It felt like backtracking, although I could also see it being like a chance to see more of the universe? In a meta way?
I don’t know. Don’t let this discourage you, rocknroll41’s idea especially seems promising. I’m just warning you it’ll definitely be hard to get to work.
I think the best way to handle Han being frozen in carbonite is to cut this subplot.
Yet I am unsure on how to do so. The best way I see is to adjust the scene of Lando visiting Han, Leia, Chewie and 3PO in their cell, so it is hinted that he may help them and then dubb the dialogue of an imperial officer telling Vader that the prisoners escaped.
On bord of the falcon Han would rest, still suffering, because he was tortured by the Empire (use the scene of him laying down on the plank bed in the cell).The most difficult challenge would be to add Han to the escape from Cloud City sequence.
Even though he would be unable to fight, because of the torture he experienced a few minutes ago.
Thank you this input is greatly appreciated. I think cutting this subplot is a great idea, we might be able to get this working. The biggest problems definitely lie within things in Empire/Jedi.
War in the stars was indeed the inspiration for the change involving the force vision. But making Luke stay on Dagobah seems like an impossible task, War in the stars while I love it is by no means seamless.