^ that is cracking NYT article - nice one alexp120 👍
It can be viewed without subscription here: https://archive.ph/tm8pf - or at least it can be / available in the UK.
‘Why releasing the ‘Star Wars’ theatrical cuts is culturally important’:-
Experiencing the Star Wars Original Trilogy in its unaltered format has been a distant hope for most fans. Could it ever become reality?
https://www.hypable.com/unaltered-star-wars-original-trilogy - 2017 article
A snippet…
"And so, for as long as the Special Editions have existed, so too have the persistent rumors that the theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy would eventually be released. They wane in the years between significant milestones in the franchise’s lifespan, but become ever more abundant when an anniversary is on the horizon.
A major obstacle to the theatrical editions of Star Wars being released was that, while Disney owned the majority of the distribution rights, A New Hope still fell under the jurisdiction of Fox, in perpetuity, thanks to a deal secured by Alan Ladd Jr.
Laddie, as he was more commonly known, was largely the reason why the Star Wars movies ever made it to the big screen. A steadfast advocate for Lucas’ vision, he petitioned and fought the Fox executives over and over, and eventually secured a deal that would allow Star Wars to move forward at the studio.
That deal also sealed his eventual fate. Laddie signed over full control of all potential Star Wars sequels to Lucas. Only A New Hope fell under Fox’s purview, and Lucas eventually used that leverage to secure the merchandising rights for the franchise, putting into motion the fully self-funded Lucasfilm juggernaut.
Fox fired Laddie over that fumble, but he had at least guaranteed that the studio kept control over the original Star Wars movie.
Without full distribution rights to Star Wars, it was always going to be a pipe dream that Disney might be able to release the theatrical cuts. At least, not without Fox’s full cooperation.
But now, with a $52 billion deal signed on the dotted line, there are very few obstacles standing in Disney’s way."
and…
“With the potential of an official release of the theatrical editions of the Original Trilogy, at a level of quality that Star Wars truly deserves, perhaps it can finally take its rightful place as a documented part of American film history.”
