Re: fan projects, it’s often been supposed (and I agree) that the whole reason the GOUT was even released was to shut down the burgeoning trade in bootleg Laserdisc rips. Based on a higher-generation source, it basically was simultaneously (at least arguably) better than any of the bootlegs, and as close to a zero-cost, zero-effort release Lucasfilm could muster. And it worked.

The quality of the fan projects today ensure the GOUT won’t happen again. To be at least arguably better than the current batch of fan projects would require a significant investment, and a great final product. And if that’s the case, hooray for Disney if they effectively shut down the fan projects by making a product worth buying. And with their access to archives, they could easily beat the best we’ve got, if they tried.

But my money’s on them not trying. Not in five years, not in ten. That money’s staying right there on the table, where it’s been sitting for the last twenty years waiting for someone to take it.