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Post #1369371

Author
Broom Kid
Parent topic
Info: Mike Verta’s 4K Restoration - May 2020 Livestream
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1369371/action/topic#1369371
Date created
16-Aug-2020, 4:35 PM

It probably wouldn’t even take that much effort. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already done, they just haven’t said anything about it, mostly because they don’t have any actual plans to do anything with it.

I have always found it highly doubtful there was ever a time when Lucasfilm was honestly considering using Verta’s restoration. I couldn’t explain why they supposedly took a meeting with him to discuss that restoration other than I’m sure someone cashed in a friendly favor, but I just don’t think it was ever going to happen.

The premise was always sort of self-defeating, for one thing: They don’t want to spend money on a restoration, so they’ll just license (? if that’s even the right term) a fan’s. OK. But if they were willing to go any sort of licensing route, why would they be talking to Verta instead of any other film company (namely, Criterion) who would be more than willing to PAY THEM for the opportunity to do it instead of the other way around. And then lets say this restoration is financially successful: They either got for free, or paid a small fee to use, Verta’s restoration and then hypothetically made a bunch of money on it. There’s still two other films in the trilogy that are completely unrestored now. Do we just only have the restored Star Wars and that’s it? Where do the other two restorations come from? How long do people have to wait to get them? Who is paying who to do them?

If ever there was going to be a restoration that became salable product, it was only ever going to be done in-house, or a licensed deal with a third party company who could do all three at once to a consistent level, and who would likely be willing to pay a decent price for the opportunity to do it.

And honestly, if they were ever going to make whatever restoration efforts a salable product intended for the consumer market, THAT’S probably when you’d see a bunch copyright strikes, DMCA takedowns, and the sorts of actions that we’ve been afraid of for over 20 years now. I think we’ll have a good idea if and when a original theatrical versions is actually coming to market because the fan-restoration “market” will get noticeably disrupted ahead of time.