I thought this deserved its own thread, rather than posting it digitalfreaknyc’s New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible” thread, as it is a different topic being discussed by George Lucas doing the media rounds at Cannes, for his honorary award.
George Lucas “I think a film belongs to its creator. When Michelangelo made the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he looked at it and said: I’m going to redo this part.”
^ The Star Wars Underworld twitter thread link: https://x.com/TheSWU/status/1794151443835781317
A ScreenRant article on the subject:
Many of the comments in the Star Wars Underworld twitter thread makes some very good points, and the majority are wanting the theatrical cuts to be released, or are calling George out for him comments.
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
And as everyone knows, ‘neither The_Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi are available as their respective directors intended, or indeed made, on a modern and quality digital format.’ 😦
An abridged screenshot from JW Rinzler’s ‘The Making Of Episode III’ book; a quoted conversation between Frank Oz and George Lucas…
^ George Lucas: “Seriously, that’s why I’m a member of the Film Foundation (filmmakers for film preservation). A director should be able to change his films - but nobody else.”
At the time of above conversation George Lucas had already made changes to directors Irvin Kershner’s ‘Empire Strikes Back’, and Richard Marquand’s ‘Return Of The Jedi’ - and would also make go on to make further additional changes to both films.
Neither the Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi are available as their respective directors intended, or indeed made, on a modern and quality digital format.
Also, all of the following quotes are from George Lucas, taken from his speech to the US Congress in 1988, on the subject of altering films…
“American works of art belong to the American public; they are part of our cultural history.”
…
“The public’s interest is ultimately dominant over all other interests.”
…
“It will soon be possible to create a new ‘original’ negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires.”
…
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.”
…
“People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians.”
…
“Attention should be paid to the interest of those who are yet unborn, who should be able to see this generation as it saw itself, and the past generation as it saw itself.”
An article with the full speech by George Lucas, at Force Material: ‘George Lucas explains why you shouldn’t digitally alter films’
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
George fancies himself in the realms of Michelangelo?! 😄
I did laugh at this in the SWU twitter thread comments
Who not just release all the main different releases of all the Star Wars movies?
It is only George’s ego that will be bruised when he finds out many fans will prefer the original theatrical cuts.
Or simply want to watch whatever old Special Edition version that was released to them at the time, and they grew up with.
George fancies himself in the realms of Michelangelo?! 😄
Very funny for him to say this, also kind of sad. If anything George is clearly one of bean counters who would have commissioned somebody else to create a work of art. Imagine if a Pope back in history claimed that some masterpiece was all their own doing and had the right to paint over it.
And as everyone knows, ‘neither The_Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi are available as their respective directors intended, or indeed made, on a modern and quality digital format.’ 😦
From the comments it looks like many fans are now mentioning this which is really cool to see.
Who not just release all the main different releases of all the Star Wars movies?
It is only George’s ego that will be bruised when he finds out many fans will prefer the original theatrical cuts.
George’s ego appears to have been the elephant in the room.
The audiences’ memories and experiences of the differing cuts, the other OT directors’ visions, and all pioneering work by all the creatives and craftspeople that no longer appear in the latest Maclunkey cuts, they all pale into insignificance when compared to that elephant.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
George fancies himself in the realms of Michelangelo?! 😄
Very funny for him to say this, also kind of sad. If anything George is clearly one of bean counters who would have commissioned somebody else to create a work of art. Imagine if a Pope back in history claimed that some masterpiece was all their own doing and had the right to paint over it.
That is a great point.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
From the New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible” thread, by digitalfreaknyc:
The complete Cannes interview (with George Lucas):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHXLsHOdPiw
Fast forward to timecode 53:08 … the interviewer asks Lucas a question from a fan, if he will release the original versions in the future. Lucas drops the “it looks terrible” quote a few seconds later.
Thanks Haarspalter.
I think the whole “Special Edition” section is worth viewing. It is only 5 minutes long, starting at 50m 42s into the video, and there are also chapters timestamped in the video description.
The part where George talks about the film belonging to the director and he “should have the right to have the movie the way he wants it” (but makes no mention of Kershner or Marquand directing the other two OT films, nor him making changes to their films), and George then talks about Michelangelo, starts at 55m 23s.
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
From the New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible” thread, by digitalfreaknyc:
The complete Cannes interview (with George Lucas):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHXLsHOdPiw
Fast forward to timecode 53:08 … the interviewer asks Lucas a question from a fan, if he will release the original versions in the future. Lucas drops the “it looks terrible” quote a few seconds later.
Thanks Haarspalter.
I think the whole “Special Edition” section is worth viewing. It is only 5 minutes long, starting at 50m 42s into the video, and there are also chapters timestamped in the video description.
The part where George talks about the film belonging to the director and he “should have the right to have the movie the way he wants it” (but makes no mention of Kershner or Marquand directing the other two OT films, nor him making changes to their films), and George then talks about Michelangelo, starts at 55m 23s.
I watched the whole 5 minute segment. George really is full of it. Some truly embarrassing claims.
Michelangelo Lucas:
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
Many of the comments in the Star Wars Underworld twitter thread makes some very good points, and the majority are wanting the theatrical cuts being released, or are calling George out for him comments.
That is pleasing to see, that most see straight through George and his claims.
From the New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible” thread, by digitalfreaknyc:
The complete Cannes interview (with George Lucas):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHXLsHOdPiw
Fast forward to timecode 53:08 … the interviewer asks Lucas a question from a fan, if he will release the original versions in the future. Lucas drops the “it looks terrible” quote a few seconds later.
Thanks Haarspalter.
I think the whole “Special Edition” section is worth viewing. It is only 5 minutes long, starting at 50m 42s into the video, and there are also chapters timestamped in the video description.
The part where George talks about the film belonging to the director and he “should have the right to have the movie the way he wants it” (but makes no mention of Kershner or Marquand directing the other two OT films, nor him making changes to their films), and George then talks about Michelangelo, starts at 55m 23s.
I watched the whole 5 minute segment. George really is full of it. Some truly embarrassing claims.
I think I’d like to forget having ever watched that 5 minute section of the video. It is the same rubbish that George has said before, and has long been debunked.
“The thing about Star Wars is that there’s one universe” & “Everyone wants to know stuff, like, where did Mace get that purple lightsaber? We want to establish that there’s one and only one answer” - Leland Chee, Continuity Database administrator for Lucasfilm, aka ‘Keeper of the Holocron’, 2008.
Many of the comments in the Star Wars Underworld twitter thread makes some very good points, and the majority are wanting the theatrical cuts being released, or are calling George out for him comments.
That is pleasing to see, that most see straight through George and his claims.
Yeah, it appears the days of George just repeating shit until it becomes an accepted “truth” by many fans are long gone (other than the lazy/clickbait media and George/Prequel worshippers, of course!)
The following abridged screenshot (edited for length) is from Lucasfilm department director Bill Kimberlin’s excellent 2018 book - Inside The Star Wars Empire, from ‘The Distraction’ chapter, starting on Page 194.
It covers George Lucas refusing the option to have a duplicate negative of the original cuts to be made. Something that “could be easily done”. Instead George simply said “This is the original version” (meaning the 1997 SE cut was now “the original version”):
So when George used to tell everyone all the many excuses in the past as to why he couldn’t preserve or restore the original cuts, it was all rubbish. For someone who even today goes on record about the importance of preserving film history, George actively suppressed the preservation and archiving of his own film, as well as the films of other directors in the Original Trilogy.
Lucas is also on record as specifically wanting the original cuts of the OT films to no longer exist:
George Lucas: “There will only be one. And it won’t be what I would call the ‘rough cut’, it’ll be the 'final cut.’”
^ a screenshot from “How the Grinch Stole Star Wars” - an article from the Save Star Wars website.
(from Category No. 17 of the ‘George Lucas: Star Wars Creator, Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist…’ thread)
The entire “Inside The Star Wars Empire” book is a really good enjoyable read and would recommend anyone to go and buy it.
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
Can someone articulate how in the name of heck George Lucas can sell Lucasfilm, and then tell Disney to not release the originals, don’t they own the films and all archival material belonging to the Lucas archives?
Paid 4 billion its not his movie anymore.
Its just way too insane to contemplate.
Can someone articulate how in the name of heck George Lucas can sell Lucasfilm, and then tell Disney to not release the originals, don’t they own the films and all archival material belonging to the Lucas archives?
Paid 4 billion its not his movie anymore.
Its just way too insane to contemplate.
I think it is a “they respect George’s wishes” type of thing more than any legal contract. And a couple of years after George passes they’ll likely release all the different cuts. I hope so anyway. That’s just my best guess to it all.
You’re right, it does all seem insane.
From the The 'Naysayer Guide’ by people who DON’T want an unaltered theatrical release of the Original Trilogy (Cat No. 5):
^ the tweets are from 2017, with Disney in charge of Lucasfilm. There is also more in that awesome Naysayer Guide thread.
It sucks there is no such respect for Kershner and Marquand, the other talented craftspeople who worked on the originals, and also for the audience who made Star Wars what it was.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
Sideburns of BoShek said:
I think it is a “they respect George’s wishes” type of thing more than any legal contract. And a couple of years after George passes they’ll likely release all the different cuts. I hope so anyway. That’s just my best guess to it all.You’re right, it does all seem insane.
Kennedy’s definitely the one holding it back at this point. She’s already stated that she won’t mess with his movies.
Can someone articulate how in the name of heck George Lucas can sell Lucasfilm, and then tell Disney to not release the originals, don’t they own the films and all archival material belonging to the Lucas archives?
Paid 4 billion its not his movie anymore.
Its just way too insane to contemplate.
Paying 4 billion to make a potential profit many times more? To them that’s probably worth signing a contract with any clause written in, film or art history can be buried.
And as everyone knows, ‘neither The_Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi are available as their respective directors intended, or indeed made, on a modern and quality digital format.’ 😦
From the comments it looks like many fans are now mentioning this which is really cool to see.
Who not just release all the main different releases of all the Star Wars movies?
It is only George’s ego that will be bruised when he finds out many fans will prefer the original theatrical cuts.
George’s ego appears to have been the elephant in the room.
The audiences’ memories and experiences of the differing cuts, the other OT directors’ visions, and all pioneering work by all the creatives and craftspeople that no longer appear in the latest Maclunkey cuts, they all pale into insignificance when compared to that elephant.
This story is full of ironies. George Lucas is the man who taught us all how the will of the people is irrelevant when one person has too much power. He taught us that not when he was trying to, in his art, but by having too much power and ignoring the will of the people.
Sideburns of BoShek said:
I think it is a “they respect George’s wishes” type of thing more than any legal contract. And a couple of years after George passes they’ll likely release all the different cuts. I hope so anyway. That’s just my best guess to it all.You’re right, it does all seem insane.
Kennedy’s definitely the one holding it back at this point. She’s already stated that she won’t mess with his movies.
In the 2017 Celebration interview where she said she wouldn’t mess with them? I think she meant she (Lucasfilm/Disney) wouldn’t make any further changes to George’s Special Editions. Unless she’s said something else since? (I really hope she has.)
There’s a transcript of the 2017 Celebration interview with her, and a video link, here:
Tough break for both Kershner and Marquand, they don’t even get a mention as directors of the other two films in the OT!
And as everyone knows, ‘neither The_Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi are available as their respective directors intended, or indeed made, on a modern and quality digital format.’ 😦
From the comments it looks like many fans are now mentioning this which is really cool to see.
Who not just release all the main different releases of all the Star Wars movies?
It is only George’s ego that will be bruised when he finds out many fans will prefer the original theatrical cuts.
George’s ego appears to have been the elephant in the room.
The audiences’ memories and experiences of the differing cuts, the other OT directors’ visions, and all pioneering work by all the creatives and craftspeople that no longer appear in the latest Maclunkey cuts, they all pale into insignificance when compared to that elephant.
This story is full of ironies. George Lucas is the man who taught us all how the will of the people is irrelevant when one person has too much power. He taught us that not when he was trying to, in his art, but by having too much power and ignoring the will of the people.
100% agree with that!
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
Lucas also bizarrely attacked Christopher Nolan for shooting on film. Doesn’t Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams also shoot on film?
As for the Kennedy interview you wouldn’t be altering the films, the OT before the special edition existed for 20 years. With the exceptions with the A New Hope edition redone starfield, redone credits, different sound mixes and Empire having a different 70mm premier cut. But when people say original they mean before all the cgi shit was added, as Phil Tippet said.
Kennedy and Lucas have known each other for years, and I believe are friends.
I’m sure there’s enough loyalty there that she’ll respect his wishes in regards to releasing the original films.
Disney could order her to do it, but I imagine they’re completely indifferent about the whole thing. They only really care about new “content”.
So, yeah, I fully believe that Kennedy is the one standing in the way, at this point.
As for the Kennedy interview you wouldn’t be altering the films, the OT before the special edition existed for 20 years. With the exceptions with the A New Hope edition redone starfield, redone credits, different sound mixes and Empire having a different 70mm premier cut. But when people say original they mean before all the cgi shit was added, as Phil Tippet said.
I’ve noticed Lucas seems to want to keep the conversation about his right to alter his movies, something nobody is questioning. He can change his movies how he likes as far as most of us are concerned, I’m sure. We just want the option of seeing high quality versions of the originals. Could he really have always hated the original versions of these movies that have made his fortune so much that he wants them erased from history?
Kennedy wouldn’t be altering anything he’d done by pushing for the release of the OOT.
Maybe he feels that star wars ruined his life. Maybe out of spite, he wants to ruin star wars. The problem with that, is that Star Wars has outgrown Lucas. And no matter, because Star Wars does not belong to him anymore. Sour grapes or not, Lucas has no say so at all, as to what a multi-billion dollar conglomerate can or can’t do with the properties they bought from him.
Regarding Kennedy, I don’t know how loyal to Lucas she is. She had no issues completely going a different direction with the sequel trilogy despite George’s ideas about how it should have gone. She also had no issues altering canon via the stand alone movies, or the Disney + series.
I am pretty sure if Bob Iger sat down with her and said “hey, let’s do this original trilogy properly”, she would likely say yes, because for one thing, Bob pays her salary, and two, Bob owns Star Wars. I don’t believe for a second that she would put her foot down on the issue due to loyalty to a friend. Business is business. If she did say no to Iger, I am sure there would be a new head of Lucasfilm in less than 48 hours. It is really as simple as that.
Lucas has to be misrembering things too. Jabba wasn’t designed as a slug until ROTJ when a bunch of different maquettes were presented to him. So the idea human Jabba was going to be a Slug stop motioned in, that can’t be correct.
If the scene was kept in 77 Declan would have been in the movie.
A bunch of stuff he said at Cannes is just malarkey. Complete and utter BS.
Post removed because I seem to have responded here to a different post on an entirely different part of the forum. Don’t know how, but I imagine accidentally backing out of one location and accidentally tapping in to another is responsible. I seem to have a unique problem navigating this place.
Lucas has to be misrembering things too. Jabba wasn’t designed as a slug until ROTJ when a bunch of different maquettes were presented to him. So the idea human Jabba was going to be a Slug stop motioned in, that can’t be correct.
If the scene was kept in 77 Declan would have been in the movie.
According to Paul Hirsch in “In a Cutting Room Far, Far Away”, Lucas came up with the stop-motion alien idea when ANH was in post-production, since Mulholland’s acting was very hammy (obviously, they couldn’t actually accomplish this.) The film’s script presented in “The Art of Star Wars” notes that Jabba was a slug-like creature (with eyestalks), but this script had some minor changes from the actual script, and this was one of them. So it seems he came up with the slug idea shortly after the scene was filmed.
They have claimed a stop motion creature would replace the actor in 1977, but Phil Tippet didn’t get instruction on designing Jabba as a ‘Sidney Greenstreet’ type character until later…
