I’m aware that the negative for TPM is essentially a print of the 2K DI. But of all companies, can’t Disney have access to the original camera negatives. I don’t buy the fact that Lucasfilm hasn’t stored them, somewhere.
Its been said several times that the 2K filmouts ARE the original camera negatives. Yeah the can rescan the negatives but they cant re render the CGI which is 99% of the movie.
Furthermore, there was NO DI for TPM. The first movie processed through a Digital Intermediate was “O’ Brother where art you”, one year after TPM.