Is the idea of Criterion putting the OT out on BR or 4K such a far-fetched concept now?

erichf69 posted a good reply to this question on the ‘4K80 a WIP’ thread in the SW preservation discussions…(sorry, not sure how to do a proper direct link)…

Criterion putting out Wall-E is notable because it’s Criterion’s first Disney release in years and their very first Disney title on 4k UHD.

It’s also notable because their new edition will have Dolby Vision whereas the Disney disc didn’t. Even the Star Wars UHD’s didn’t get dolby vision on disc. TLJ’s original 2018 release did, but it’s one of only two movies where Disney included DV (Black Panther is the other one).

I think the big difference here though is that Wall-E is just one standalone movie and not part of a bigger franchise. It would be fun if Criterion also got the rights to Ratatouille and Up because then they could put out the Pixar Art House Trilogy.

If Disney were smart, they’d keep Star Wars all to themselves and give each film its own multi-disc, multi-version collector’s edition (complete with dolby vision). I really don’t see them licensing out Star Wars, ever, although I’d love to be wrong.

I am really hoping Disney licenses the work out. I have little to no confidence that they will treat the star wars franchise properly. I don’t know if it is a “we don’t want to spend time/resources/money” on making decent releases, or if it simply laziness on their part. The fact is they DO have all the archive materials and resources to make the pent-ultimate release, and for whatever the reason may be, they are sitting on it. I really don’t buy into the “it’s George’s wishes to keep it buried” idea. He sold lock, stock and barrel. Disney is out to make money on that investment. But who really knows.

It seems that with Disney lately, the MO is quick turn-around, minimal effort for maximized profits. The 2019 Star Wars sets screams of said MO. I have no way to track how well the “skywalker saga” sets sold, but I wonder why anyone would buy something that offered little to no real value over what was previously available.

I mentioned this on another thread, but I personally feel that if disney were to release star wars (again), it would HAVE TO BE something of significance. The market has already been saturated for nearly twenty years with releases of sub-par DVDs, Blu Ray, and now UHDs. Disney must realize that they have beaten this horse to death already. They are at the bottom of the barrel. I can literally see no other thing they can do but to release the original unaltered trilogy, in a manner fitting of a properly scanned and mastered-to-perfection UHD/Blu Ray.

Somewhere at disney I hope someone is weighing this out. They must know of the 4k77, 4k83 and soon to be released 4k80 projects, and how they are highly prized by (perhaps a small number, who knows) fans of the series. It may be a small market, but let’s be honest… the market for the SE might not be a market anymore somewhere down the road.

erichf69 said:

I am really hoping Disney licenses the work out. I have little to no confidence that they will treat the star wars franchise properly. I don’t know if it is a “we don’t want to spend time/resources/money” on making decent releases, or if it simply laziness on their part. The fact is they DO have all the archive materials and resources to make the pent-ultimate release, and for whatever the reason may be, they are sitting on it. I really don’t buy into the “it’s George’s wishes to keep it buried” idea. He sold lock, stock and barrel. Disney is out to make money on that investment. But who really knows.

It seems that with Disney lately, the MO is quick turn-around, minimal effort for maximized profits. The 2019 Star Wars sets screams of said MO. I have no way to track how well the “skywalker saga” sets sold, but I wonder why anyone would buy something that offered little to no real value over what was previously available.

I mentioned this on another thread, but I personally feel that if disney were to release star wars (again), it would HAVE TO BE something of significance. The market has already been saturated for nearly twenty years with releases of sub-par DVDs, Blu Ray, and now UHDs. Disney must realize that they have beaten this horse to death already. They are at the bottom of the barrel. I can literally see no other thing they can do but to release the original unaltered trilogy, in a manner fitting of a properly scanned and mastered-to-perfection UHD/Blu Ray.

Somewhere at disney I hope someone is weighing this out. They must know of the 4k77, 4k83 and soon to be released 4k80 projects, and how they are highly prized by (perhaps a small number, who knows) fans of the series. It may be a small market, but let’s be honest… the market for the SE might not be a market anymore somewhere down the road.

The 50th anniversary, maybe? I hope so. Some sort of deal, at least.

Or if it came to it, just making the different versions of the Original Trilogy available in the “Vintage Star Wars” section of Disney+, along with the other older Star Wars content that is deemed no longer canon. At least it would be something.

I struggle to understand this from Jon Favreau recently:

Favreau On “Star Wars” Original Theatrical Cuts article at Dark Horizons on March 9.
 

“Do you think anybody but us, like, the people who grew up with it … would care? Because … what I figured out [is] that the younger people have a whole different perception of what Star Wars is.”

but then says his Mandalorian show:

“We were trying to say, ‘Hey, let’s do something that’s good for us — the people who have been around, watching these movies since they were 10 years old, but also, let’s make it for people who have never seen Star Wars."

but the people who watched these movies since they were 10 years old cannot still cannot watch those actual movies?

That makes no sense. Much like this season of The Mandalorian.
 

I hope someone at Criterion is trying to do a deal to release these unaltered theatrical cuts for anyone who wants them.

Has anyone asked Criterion if they have tried for a deal to release the unaltered cuts? Or how far they got in talks for any such deal?
 

Like anyone else here, I hope it happens! Especially if people at Lucasfilm mistakenly think there is little demand for the unaltered cuts: let a company like Criterion, the experts in their field, actually do the work for them.

Send the Wookiee with him as the muscle.
 

Like erichf69 says, a deal with Criterion is a win all around. Even for anyone who actually believes Favreau’s disappointing and narrow minded comments.

It’ll never happen, particularly as Favreau is probably towing the company line. I’d be very happy to see it mind you.