That's why I'm actually inclined to believe Devin Faraci when he says that Fox doesn't feel comfortable releasing the original versions while George is still alive.
doubleofive said:
This is just a money grab by Fox, it is not representative of Disney's plans.
The press release did mention Disney. Maybe that's only because they own Lucasfilm now?
You have to wonder whether Fox needed Disney's permission at all since the disc content itself hasn't changed, only the packaging and the fact they're being made available individually this time.
GlastoEls said:
Since the sale, has anyone affiliated with LFL mentioned the OOT at all in any capacity?
It's pretty odd not to have gotten any official word on the subject in the almost three years since the sale.
What could possibly make it that sensitive of a subject?
Is it still just "too soon" and they don't want to upset GL, despite it not being his company anymore?
Is the Fox situation a roadblock and Disney wants to wait until 2020?
Or is it simply a matter of timing and they don't want to put it out until it makes the most sense business-wise?
This is of course assuming they're planning on eventually putting it out at all, which isn't even a given.
They're are just too many variables, and until I at least hear a rumor that gets picked up by one of the more reputable websites I'm done speculating.
No new footage at D23 this weekend, according to this article:
I similarly stopped spending money on anything Lucasfilm-related years ago because of the OOT's continued absence.
You're lucky you can have it both ways, moviefreakedmind.
Wazzles said:
Fang Zei said:
It's possible, however unlikely, that they could be planning something to coincide with Ep7's eventual release on blu-ray in the Spring. I'm not holding my breath, though.
I think what's more likely is that the TFA box art will mimic these. Why elese would they release single discs? No one really wants to own just one Star Wars film.
imperialscum said:
This time they will put LD scans on a Blu-Ray instead of DVD!
At this point, I would buy that just to show demand for the OOT. And hey, it might look DVD quality at that resolution!
Honestly though, I don't give a shit about what they happen to release at this point. I am content with the state of current fan preservations, namely Team -1's work.
The one thing giving me hope for a sooner-than-later OOT announcement, prior to yesterday, was the fact that they hadn't been released individually yet. Look at what happened with the GOUT. They needed a selling point aside from them being available individually, so they threw in the existing laserdisc transfers of the unaltereds as a "bonus." Sure, that sucked big time, but LFL got away with it because a lot of people were still watching dvds on their 4:3 CRT's and didn't know better.
I figured if they wanted to do the same thing with blu-Ray they'd have to do something similar, except this time they'd have to actually remaster the unaltereds.
I was wrong.
It's worth noting that the covers for ANH and Empire echo those of the 1995 Faces/THX/OneLastTime release.
They used the Emperor instead of Yoda for RotJ. They probably thought Yoda was a better fit for AotC because his lightsaber fight with Dooku is generally considered to be the standout scene of that movie.
Yeah I'd also like to get an exact quote, as this is the first I've heard of her saying this (even cryptically).
Was it in regards to someone asking about the original versions?
It's possible, however unlikely, that they could be planning something to coincide with Ep7's eventual release on blu-ray in the Spring. I'm not holding my breath, though.
As has been touched on already in this thread, there is the 40th Anniversary in 2017, which is already coinciding with the release of a Star Wars movie directed by someone who's slammed the SE in the past.
I still think it's downright bizarre that the digital versions have inconsistent logos, regardless of who technically owns what.
Anyway, raced over here after reading the steelbook story on Slashfilm. Very dissapointed to see that the films are finally being released individually for reasons having nothing to do with what I've been wanting for years now.
The milking of decade-old transfers continues.
The only good news here, I guess, is that the complete nine-disc saga set will still be out there for people who want those three discs of extras. I still can't be bothered to pay good money just for some deleted scenes, though.
In the meantime, there's still this mysterious 4k remaster by Reliance MediaWorks that we've known about for over a year now, a.k.a. the reason this thread exists. The rumor this past April from someone who'd allegedly seen an in-progress version is that it's a newer SE, but one where Han shoots first again. Could this maybe be the "Final Cut" equivalent for the OT?
Obviously none of this matters in the long run if it doesn't bring the unaltereds closer to the proper treatment.
There are so many things to consider regarding if/when it'll actually happen, from the aforementioned 2020 expiration date for Fox's ownership of Empire/Jedi/PT, to the upcoming UHD blu-ray format, to the 40th anniversary coinciding with Ep8's release.
I'd like to think JJ Abrams and especially Rian Johnson have bothered Disney about getting the unaltereds restored. I'd hate to believe that rumor about Fox not wanting the unaltereds re-released until after Lucas passes on.
I remember a discussion with the vfx guys posted on the official site around the time of the dvd release in which they claimed to have made several dozen changes.
The only change anyone seems to have noticed is the speeder during the Coruscant chase.
Wasn't there also discussion of the sparks on Jango's jetpack right before he's killed in the arena battle? On the commentary track during that scene, Lucas actually expresses surprise to the vfx guys at how quickly they were able to get the changes done.
Yet the blatant continuity error of Ki-Adi Mundi's lightsaber color changing during the arena battle (as pointed out in the depth commentary) was never fixed. That is unless it was fixed for the blu-ray, which I wouldn't know.
So just to be clear, there were at least four different versions released in 2002 alone:
-The 35mm version, which would've needed to be locked at least two weeks before the movie opened on May 16 in order to allow enough time to make the more than 2,000 prints going to U.S. theaters.
-The digital version, which only a hundred or so theaters were able to show. Rick McCallum had some comment about how they were still shooting only a week or so before release day. What would this have been? The only difference noticed by people who saw both versions was Padme holding Anakin's hand at the end.
-The dvd version, which was essentially the digital version plus an extension of the garage scene with Anakin and Padme. This is in addition to the aforementioned vfx changes.
-The IMAX version, released only days after the dvd (really smart business strategy there, Lucasfilm). This version had several scenes removed to get the running time down to 120 minutes, the maximum amount of film that an IMAX projector's platters could hold at the time. By many accounts, these edits actually improved the film somewhat.
Presumably, there are 35mm scope and 70mm Imax prints in existence somewhere, and we have preservations of 2.35:1 hd broadcasts of the dvd version if I'm not mistaken.
What really fascinates me is the digital version. Presumably the DCP's were sent back to either Fox or Lucasfilm after their theatrical run, just like the celluloid versions. But unlike the celluloid versions, the hard drives would've needed to be fired up occasionally in order to preserve the data. Whether or not Lucasfilm kept a master file of this exact version is anyone's guess.
unamochilla2 said:
emanswfan said:
unamochilla2 said:
Do we know when they'll start filming Episode VIII? If they haven't started already?
Well, they're filming Rogue One as of right now. I'm guessing they wouldn't start principal shooting till the beggining of 2016. But they concieveably shoot some second unit starting late fall.
I'm just not sure whether they'd want to start principal filming before TFA's release, given just one little overhead set photo could spell possible spoilers if they aren't careful enough.
That's a good point. There's already speculation about Hamill returning since he was seen sporting a beard recently.
Heh, when do we start the Episode VIII *SPOILERS* thread?
Considering Billy Dee is several years older than Harrison Ford (just sayin'), you'd think they'd prioritize him being in Ep7 rather than saving him for the sequels.
Hal 9000 said:
SilverWook said:
And we also need a movie to explain what the heck is up with General Madine's Gumby hair.
For the last time, he's one of them...
Wasn't Crix Madine from Corellia?
I could totally see Lord and Miller using this as an excuse to work head-drinkers into the new canon.
So it has now been confirmed there will be no new footage from The Force Awakens shown at San Diego Comic Con this week.
I'm not getting my hopes up (far from it), but I can't help but wonder if Lucasfilm is going to unexpectedly announce a restored OOT.
It would be doubly appropriate considering Comic Con was used to promote the original film way back in '76.
Like I said though, not getting my hopes up....
I honestly don't care if the '04 and '11 versions are included in a future "ultimate" collection. In fact, I would almost prefer they not be, just so I don't have to pay for them again. The 2011 version is already out there on blu-Ray for those who want it, and I'm sure someone's done a nice HD preservation of the '04 version from the broadcasts.
The '97 version is the only historically important version of the SE imo. It's probably the first time (still the only time?) that such a beloved classic got that wide of a rerelease and drew in that much box office while still being a radically altered version of itself.
The next iteration of the SE, from the new 4k scan, will probably just replicate most of the 04/11 changes anyway. There's even a rumor that some changes, like the Han and Greedo scene, have actually been reversed.
Sad news.
Gormenghast was probably the first thing I saw him in when it aired here in the States on PBS in the summer of 2000. Right around that same time I read an interview with him in SciFi magazine, talking about his career and that he was playing Saruman in LotR. I think by that point it was known he had a role in the as-yet-untitled Episode II, a role not dissimilar from his Hammer cohort Peter Cushing's in Star Wars '77.
I remember finding it pretty mind-blowing that a guy pushing 80 was taking on such big roles in these huge franchises.
It wasn't until later that I saw his earlier work, like The Wicker Man and The Man with the Golden Gun, although I still haven't actually seen any of his Hammer/Dracula stuff (must rectify this soon).
How cool that he was able to reprise his role of Saruman for The Hobbit.
What an extraordinary life!
He will be missed.
It's being reported that at least some of Rogue One will shoot on Arri's new 6k, 65mm-sized model of Alexa camera. But that's not all! These 65mm shots will use the 1.25x anamorphic Ultra Panavision lens recently revived by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Richardson for The Hateful Eight, which they shot on actual 65mm film.
Ultra Panavision (2.20:1 65mm film with a 1.25x squeeze) yields an extremely wide aspect ratio of 2.76:1. There were only a literal handful of films made in this format before it was abandoned, Ben-Hur probably being the most well-known example. Several years back I actually got to see an anamorphic 70mm print of the last Ultra Panavision film, Khartoum, which was released in 1966 and also happens to star Charlton Heston.
Gareth Edwards and his cinematographer Greig Fraser are clearly fans of the more old-fashioned formats, as they shot last year's Godzilla movie in panavision/cinemascope with 2x anamorphics using the alexa 4:3.
I wonder how much of Rogue One will shoot in this digital "equivalent" of Ultra Panavision and if the movie will shift to the ultra wide AR at certain points. Maybe they'll crop those shots to 2.40:1 while still taking advantage of the added resolution and detail?
yoda-sama said:
Frink, I do believe you missed him also saying Luca$$$film.
Also, Mr. Doom, where are you getting this "restore PT in 4K" stuff? In his foolish eagerness to completely distance himself from all things that worked well from the OT, Lucas jumped too early onto recording completely in digital for Episodes II and III, forever trapping them at a maximum resolution of 1080p. The PT will never be a 4K showcase, due to extreme shortsightedness, and Disney is not about to lead with that foot. If Star Wars ever commercially goes 4K, it would pretty much have to be just some form of original trilogy release (be it redone-from-scratch SE, or OOT), not the complete Vader saga.
I don't know if Eps 2 and 3 were technically finished at 1080. They were definitely shot that way (technically 1920 by 817 for the 2.35:1 scope framing), but I think they still did all the cgi and color timing at 2k cinema resolution (2048 by 853 for scope). Small difference, I know, and it certainly doesn't improve the limited resolution of the live-action footage, which would still be stuck at cropped 1080p.
Avatar was shot similarly. 1920 by 1080 hd cameras with the vfx and color finished at true 2k for the scope version. John Knoll said in an interview that ILM delivered some of their shots at 3k just so they would really shine in the 70mm Imax version.
When it comes to the OT SE, only 20% of it, at the most, is actually stuck at 2k detail. Most of the trilogy would still benefit greatly from 4k as it's still photochemical. They say even 35mm negative doesn't "max out" until you hit 12k resolution, although the point at which our eyes can't tell the difference is maybe only slightly higher than 4k unless we're viewing it on an insanely large screen at relatively close distance.
And even if the prequels are stuck at 2k, they can still look quite good. I just saw Avengers 2 last week, a movie that was only finished in 2k, and it looked absolutely amazing projected in 4k.
I still remember George's words during that scene on the '04 RotJ dvd commentary, and they were something along the lines of "Y'know, if I'd known he would become such a beloved character I never would've killed him off. Most people think he never really died anyway."
That last part is probably a reference to Dark Empire (which we know George read at one point) and maybe the other post-Jedi EU he appears in, although the "most people" qualifier seems to drive home George's own opinion of the EU which he's shared elsewhere in interviews.
moviefreakedmind said:
Fang Zei said:
That too.
It could be that he's there to announce his final version of the SE (from the Reliance 4k job we've been hearing about) and, to counter the "who %#*^ing cares" response that would follow from the comic con audience, Disney's also gonna announce a blu-ray set that includes the remastered originals.
I'm not holding my breath for this to actually happen, but it's one big, giant "could happen" in my mind.
Yeah it's a bit of a stretch. That being said I don't feel that Lucas's desire to see the OOT limited to 4:3 letterbox extended beyond his own tenure at Lucasfilm. I can't see him being opposed to other people releasing it now that he has sold the company, or at least not opposed enough to try and do anything about it.
Especially since his entire argument for reusing said letterbox transfer was "I don't want to spend any money remastering the old versions."
With Disney now in charge, he's lost even that excuse.
That too.
It could be that he's there to announce his final version of the SE (from the Reliance 4k job we've been hearing about) and, to counter the "who %#*^ing cares" response that would follow from the comic con audience, Disney's also gonna announce a blu-ray set that includes the remastered originals.
I'm not holding my breath for this to actually happen, but it's one big, giant "could happen" in my mind.
So my next guess as to when we might even possibly hear an OOT announcement was Comic Con, but now there's a rumor going around that George himself might make an appearance.
I wasn't gonna get my hopes up, but hearing George is gonna be there kinda squelches even the faintest glimmer I had left.
ETA:
Actually, now that I think about it (just try and follow my logic here), maybe the reason GL is showing up is because they're planning on announcing the OOT restoration ahead of the convention, so that George won't get boos and hisses from the crowd....
... I'm really reaching here, aren't I....
Not only will they need to reframe the existing films as no longer being the complete story, they're going to have to release the films individually at some point. Lucasfilm might as well take a page from its own history, only do things right this time. A blu-ray equivalent of the GOUT, with both versions from brand new transfers instead of existing ones (and maybe with the '97 version thrown in as well), would totally justify a higher price point for an individual release.
DuracellEnergizer said:
scruffy_looking said:
Seeing "4K" and "SE" in the same sentence makes me feel violently ill.
Urge to create a droid character named SE-4K for one of my SW screenplays rising ...
DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
