These are some great thoughts, Dom!
Honestly, I think ROTJ is in this weird place between being a part of the “holy” trilogy, but also being considered the weakest of three. Yes, you could edit it dramatically, and it has been before, but imo I feel like there isn’t really a definitive fan edit of ROTJ, just a few good ones that introduce some cool ideas. How much can you alter without something feeling missing?
In this case, I think all of these different options just have to be tested, and see what still feels coherent, or seamless, even.
So, you’re suggesting opening with the Emperor scene, which honestly is a solid idea. I think the one think you lose is a slightly ominous opening for Vader, since the first time we see him in this version of events would just be in a wide shot of him kneeling down (unless you inserted a new first shot of him somehow). I like your IX related idea by the way! We definitely need to keep that in mind.
I think Bib Fortuna speaks enough in this scene to where you can add enough subtitles to provide enough context for what is happening.
I think the droid torture room could still be kept so we can know that 3PO and R2 have been given new jobs within the Palace.
You could easily add an insert of Han frozen in carbonite in the Lapti nek scene, but you actually get glimpses of him already in it. But still, I think an extra shot would make that clear (I don’t think anyone would complain if you cut out an extra Sly Snootles shot). At first I also felt it would be a scene where nothing happens with that the Chewbacca/Boushh scene, but you can transition it in a way to where it feels like it leads right into Leia sneaking into the Palace. And it still functions as an introduction to Jabba’s character through 3PO’s point of view.
Originally this sequence is the beginning of the Bounty for a Wookiee scene, but you instead could cut to the sunset Palace establishing shot, maybe still hearing some muffled laughter and screams. I think it would be cool if you turned this into a night shot, as well.
You could then wipe to scene where Boushh sneaks into the main palace room. Show Leia freeing Han, all that jazz. Leia and Han get captured. Han hears snarling in his cell and it turns out to be Chewbacca! This being Chewie’s introduction is an interesting idea.
(Also, what if Jabba was hiding behind a holographic wall rather than just some curtains?)
If you cut the first Boushh scene, I think Leia & Wicket should be kept, at the very least to not make this film less than two hours long.
The deleted scenes would be cool to add, but it just seem infeasible to add them seamlessly. And I think Luke’s introduction in the film is great as-is, and putting Dagobah stuff earlier would just ruin that mystique.
Good idea putting the first throne room scene in place of where the Emeror’s first scene originally was. I also think graphics could be added to those weirdly blank view screens that could be relevant to some potential ST-foreshadowing as well, but not sure what exactly that could be yet.
Again, I feel this is something you just gotta experiment with. Try it without the first Boushh scene, and try it with it, then compare and see which works better. I get why you are suggesting that though. I would like to see without it, but if keeping felt necessary you could just cut out 3PO mentioning Chewbacca earlier in the film.
I’m going to think about what Bib could potentially say to them in that first scene.