An addendum to the above ‘Fan Edit / Preservation Forum Rules and FAQ’ - Rule 2:-

2. No profiting from any activities related to fan edits or preservation efforts. Those found selling their fan edits or preservation projects here or elsewhere will be banned…

June 1st, 2020

As the world of media ever evolves, so too does our ability to interact with that world. In the beginning days of film, access was only available through theaters or private screenings. Over time we’ve gained a more immediate access through the distribution of home video releases and now access-on-demand through the internet. As creatives, this has also allowed us greater opportunity to interact with media to the eventual advent of fanediting. One thing that we must remember is that even though our access and ability to manipulate media is increasing, that access and ability does not give us the right to reinterpret the established laws surrounding copyrights of intellectual properties (IP).

A recent trend in the world of digital creatives is to use subscription based revenue supports such as patreon. While this is a fantastic way for creatives to support the development and distribution of their own IPs, we stress that it cannot be used to support fanediting. Any engagement in the profiting off of another’s IP work without permission from the owner to do so is strictly prohibited and any faneditor who engages in such activity will be banned from participating in our fanediting communities.
 

To clarify…

In the past we have been clear that no faneditor may profit from fanediting. Under this new policy this now also includes subscription based models, monetization of content that editors do not hold the copyright for and pay-per-view/access models. If a faneditor profits in any way, they have violated this rule.

Profiting from fanediting is defined as any increase in currency that leads to a personal or collective financial gain.

Fanediting is defined as editing and presenting/sharing alternate versions of content that an editor does not hold the copyright for.
 

Simplified check list…

If you are profiting from fanediting…
If you are selling fanediting…
If you are monetizing fanediting…
If you are asking others to financially subscribe to support your fanediting…
…you have violated this rule.
 

Clearly stated…

If you don’t hold the copyright of the source material you may not profit from the content.

Again, any faneditor that is found violating these guidelines will be banned from our communities.

If you have any questions regarding these rules please contact a staff member privately.

– The Staff of Fanedit.org & OriginalTrilogy.com

Sometimes the content is right under our noses…

Proof of Lucas’ revisionism in Rinzler’s making-of book? - 2019 OT•com thread, by canofhumdingers

😃
 

'U.K. Industry Confirms COVID-19 Guidelines for Film & High-End TV, Giving Greenlight for Production:-

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/uk-industry-publishes-covid-19-guidance-1234621699

^ seems the new shows that were due to be filmed in the UK (Cassian Andor? maybe more?) may resume / start shooting soon…
 

'A “New” New Hope: Film Preservation and the Problem with ‘Star Wars’:-

https://www.popoptiq.com/a-new-new-hope-film-preservation-and-the-problem-with-star-wars - date unknown
 

a snippet…

"In an episode of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (a sitcom lampooning modern “geek” culture with varying degrees of success), physicist Dr. Sheldon Cooper refuses to watch the ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ animated series before the Clone Wars movie. He explains, “I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended.” Though likely unintentional, this offhanded remark reveals the central dilemma of the Star Wars fandom. Does the franchise “belong” to Lucas or does it “belong” to the public, as an artifact of cultural history? With the 2011 release of the 6-part Star Wars saga on Blu-ray came the announcement that the version of the trilogy available in the set would not be from the original theatrical prints, but the 1997 “Special Edition” versions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which include additional scenes and updated technology. Many fans of the franchise see this decision—coupled with the critical backlash stemming from the three Star Wars prequels—as evidence of George Lucas’ transformation from an innovative filmmaker into a profit-seeking businessman.

There may be a more pertinent problem at stake. As the years go by, the original theatrical print of the trilogy has become more and more difficult to access. The original version of Star Wars has a loyal and prolific fan following, including the website Save Star Wars, a space promoting the preservation and distribution of the original theatrical prints of the trilogy. But what constitutes an original art object in film? With regards to this issue, Star Wars presents a unique problem—what the fans consider the original work of art has been actively suppressed by its creator.

In an interview in the February 1997 edition of American Cinematographer Magazine, Lucas stated: “What ends up being important in my mind is what the DVD version is going to look like, because that’s what everybody is going to remember. The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million [VHS] tapes of Star Wars out there won’t last more than 30 or 40 years.” From this, it appears that Lucas intends for the Special Edition of the trilogy to supersede the original versions, eventually taking their place in our collective cultural memory."
 

and…

"Another influential fan-based initiative for the preservation and public distribution of the original cut of Star Wars is the online petition at OriginalTrilogy.com. The current version of the petition reiterates that authorial agency and cultural responsibility are not mutually exclusive—while Lucas has every right to alter his films, he has an artistic obligation to preserve the original version for future generations. The website has also published a letter from a Lucasfilm PR rep, responding to the site’s original petition. It is damning evidence for Lucas’ continued suppression of the original trilogy:

“The negatives of the movies were permanently altered for the creation of the Special Editions, and existing prints of the first versions are in poor condition. […] Since these movies do not represent George’s artistic vision, we could not put the extraordinary time and resources into this project as we did with the Special Editions. […] We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions.”

The argument that the updated version of Star Wars constitutes Lucas’ original “artistic vision” is not entirely cohesive. Such an admission implies that, had computer generated graphics existed in the 1970s as they do today, Lucas’ original version of Star Wars would have more closely resembled the Special Edition. However, this argument is historically and technologically deterministic—that Lucas was somehow destined to make the Special Edition at any point in history. Films as artifacts are a product of their cultural, historical, and aesthetic limitations, and as such, the original Star Wars theatrical prints should be preserved as a representation of science fiction filmmaking in the late-70s and early-80s."
 

'Why finding the original 1977 Star Wars is verges on the impossible:-

https://www.inverse.com/article/3942-why-finding-the-original-1977-star-wars-verges-on-the-impossible - 2016 article
 

a snippet…
 

"It’s a scene etched into every Star Wars fan’d mind. The roguish anti-hero Han Solo sits alone at a bare table in the Mos Eisley Cantina. An alien bounty hunter pulls up a chair to confront him. After some chit-chat, the amphibian-looking barfly pulls a gin and fires a laser blast inches from from Solo’s head. Without batting an eye, Han fires a return blast from under the table, killing the bounty hunter and sauntering away from the grisly yet PG-rated scene. Everybody’s seen it Except not.

That impromptu shootout in the first Star Wars is but one of the sequences that diverges from what audiences saw when the movie was originally released in 1977, and it’s perhaps the most infamous of writer/director George Lucas’s endless tinkering with his beloved space saga. This means that a whole generation of supposedly passionate fans have been living a lie. The galaxy far, far away that fans like me fell in love with is a different film entirely.

I confess that I love Star Wars far too much. It’s a cultural artifact that permeates my whole being. I couldn’t count how many Star Wars birthdays I’ve had, how many toys I’ve bought, and how many home video editions of the original trilogy I owned. I’ve even made some of my best friends by challenging them to exceedingly nerdy Star Wars trivia (Q: What was the number of the garbage compactor that nearly killed Han, Luke, and Leia in the first movie? A: If you don’t know it, we aren’t best friends.)

And yet I’ve never seen the original version of Star Wars — a crime that should be punishable by freezing me in Carbonite and shipping me off to an uncertain fate with Boba Fett. But in 2015, it requires nothing shy of an actual quest if you want to find Lucas’s 1977 original, the ur-Star Wars from which the subsequent multi-multi-billion-dollar cultural empire sprang. Lucas has ensured the “original” is a tampered-with version he now sells riven with edits and festooned with computerized effects. To see his original vision, one must dig."
 

The Emperor’s way of killing the Jedi… eventually backfires…

https://imgur.com/gallery/amDl7y5 (with sound)
 

Goodbye Panakin - troll and sock.

Vladius said:

oojason said:

I thought I was on a reddit thread for The Last Jedi for a while there - not in an OT.com thread - supposedly for an TLJ Edit…
 

hey buddy, you missed the large section of posts bashing Rise of Skywalker

In here? Or elsewhere? Please feel free to PM me with any posts you feel have overstepped the line as to what Preservatioinists, Fan Editors, fellow members, and moderators have requested below…

oojason said:

An Index & Help Thread for Star Wars Fan Edits and Other Projects… to try and help members find information on, and links to, the many various Edits & Other Projects that have originated on the OriginalTrilogy•com down the years…

 

A quick reminder that the Star Wars Preservation and Star Wars Fan Edit sections of the site are NOT the places to bash on certain eras or aspects of the films, actors, film-makers or owners - or any perceived ‘agendas’ or politics thereof.

There are far more relevant threads in the Beyond the Original Trilogy or General Star Wars Discussion sections of the site to talk about this.

Critiquing a scene in the Star Wars Fan Edits section with the aim of improving it, removing it, altering it etc is perfectly fine. Statements such as ‘Disney sucks’ and ‘this film is so shit no Fan Edit can save it’ is not.

Fan Editors, Preservationists and members do not want the same sort of repeated comments and discussions in the ‘Fan Project’ areas - especially when they’ve already taken place (and continuing) in other more relevant sections of the site, as linked to above.

If there are posts voicing frustration about the pacing of the film, the lack of deleted scenes available, certain scenes or character arcs, legitimate criticism of the writing etc - with the aim of coming up with better / improved Edits… it generally isn’t a problem (without personal or toxic insults etc, of course).

Though posts such as yours made previously on here - which earnt you two quick warnings in succession - sure, let me know.
 

Just a reminder; I’m still waiting for a reply to some info from you in PMs - I look forward to finally reading them.

Now, if we could get back on the topic of thread… 👍
 

‘The release of the Original Trilogy to DVD’:-

Sorry, but this isn’t a review of the new DVD set from Lucas. I won’t be doing any review of the new set, because I won’t be buying. This isn’t a review, but rather an explanation as to why I’m not buying. It’s not a plea for you to boycott, or an attempt to tell you what to do - each person must follow their own conscience on such things. - from 2004.

(around the time of the 2004 OT SE DVD release…)

http://www.mwctoys.com/MOVIES_STARWARS_092104.htm
 

a snippet The whole thing…
 

"The reason I’m skipping this set of DVD’s is simple - I’m not going to feed the monster. Lucas is a man completely out of control at this point (and if some of the things I’m hearing about the final film pan out, God helps us), and it’s clear there’s no one around him with the courage to tell him he’s wrong. I can’t tell him he’s wrong (last time he called, we argued over Jar-Jar, and he hasn’t spoken to me since), but I can let him know my disapproval of his childish, immature, and downright stupid handling of the original trilogy by keeping my money right where it is.
 

Like many fans, I’m very bothered by the changes to these films. There are two core reasons for my disdain:

1 - Once a film is released, it is owned by those that paid for it with their ticket price. We bought the original film, in it’s original format, from Lucas, and it is no longer only ‘his’. I loved that film for what it was, when it was released - I want to be able to own that film, unchanged. Lucas may have the legal right to screw with that, but he lost the emotional right several billion dollars ago.

2 - Films are part of history. The look of the film, the actions of the characters, the theme and plot, all reflect the thoughts and feelings of society at the time the film is released. When Turner started colorizing old films for the sake of color, Lucas understood this and rallied against it. Unfortunately, like all good hypocrites, he can’t see that this applies to him as well as others.

I’m all for director’s cuts. I like to see what they might have envisioned, but couldn’t do because of external constraints. But that is not what is happening here. George is systematically destroying your chance of ever seeing the original film again, slowly killing off his original baby for the new and improved.

The argument for the changes goes something like this “I’m improving the film.”. When it becomes painfully obvious that the changes rarely do that, the follow up argument quickly raises its ugly head “It’s my movie and I’ll do whatever the hell I want.” Once you reach that stage, it’s pretty clear the person never had a leg to stand on in the first place.

If the changes were purely cosmetic, more people would buy into the ‘improving the film’ theory. Of course, Lucas didn’t buy it with the whole silly colorizing thing, but there are enough people out there that would say “sure, throw in a few more ships zipping around, what can it hurt?” But these changes, the ones that truly rub me the wrong way, are far more than simply the film version of Botox. These changes alter the motivations of the characters, and the intentions of key scenes.

Let’s look at the two worst - the demise of Greedo, and the final scene of the Three Jedi (any resemblance to Larry, Moe and Curly being a complete coincidence).

The Demise of Greedo. In our beloved original, Han knows exactly where the conversation with Greedo is leading, and he doesn’t like it. He finishes the slimy bounty hunter off before he ever has a chance to kill Han. The Cantina is a ruthless place, filled with ruthless people, and we realize that Han is a man not to be messed with.

In the first alteration, a poorly edited first shot from Greedo is thrown in. Obviously, George has decided in his old age that Han needs to be less ruthless and more puppy dogs and warm apple pie. This simple change alters the character of Han drastically.

And now, in this latest version, they shoot at the same time. At this point, the only thing the scene proves is that George is unable to make up his mind, and actually thinks that compromise makes for great art.

But what of the new change to the big finale? In one of our final scenes of Return of the Jedi, we see Ob-Wan Kenobi as played by Alec Guinness, Yoda as played by a puppet, and Anakin Skywalker as played by Sebastian Shaw, all in ghostly, force fed form, smiling over the festivities. This scene was intended to send a simple and straight forward message - although Anakin had strayed, his last final heroic act of self sacrifice redeemed him. This simple scene was all that was required to impart this important message.

In our new release, Shaw has been digitally replaced with Hayden Christiansen, the young version of Anakin Skywalker. What in God’s name is Lucas thinking? Or is it that he simply isn’t? In what fantasy world does this make sense? Perhaps he’s trying to set up whatever explanation he has for why Obi-Wan and Yoda disappeared when they died and Qui-Gonn did not, but if that’s the case, the answer smells lame already.

While the original scene told us that Anakin was redeemed, this scene now tells us that not only was he redeemed, but the cosmic forces once again went out of their way to screw the good guy, stiffing Obi-wan with an old man’s appearance and giving Vader back his youthful one. Even the Force screws you in the end.

There are several other changes as well, and even one that George reversed - he added in the girlie scream when Luke falls, but has removed it once again in the dvd release, proving the waffle theory once again. In a recent interview, he said he pays no attention to what the fans say about the films or the changes. Yea, right.

Lucas needs to move on, learn how to let go, and actually be creative, instead of obsessing and reassessing his past work. Grow up, George - nothing is ever perfect, and adults are usually smart enough to know that reworking something over and over sucks all the creative and spontaneous beauty out of it, leaving a technically perfect but lifeless creation.

Rating - Skip It.

All of this, and my general uneasiness with Lucas’ attitude, are why I’m not buying these films. Buying them simply sends the message that it’s okay, that I’m more than happy with the product. I’m not, and if I don’t have these DVD’s in my house on September 21st, I won’t suddenly die. In fact, by taking the money I would have spent and buying a few more Toys For Tots with it, I’m going to be feeling pretty good.

Of course, I might rent them…
 

Spoiler Laden Thoughts:-

Nothing more to spoil here - George did that for me."
 

‘Could Disney finally give us the remastered, unedited Star Wars we want?’:-

A rumored sale of Fox assets to Disney adds a new wrinkle to our 2014 analysis. a 2017 article.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/11/could-disney-finally-give-us-the-remastered-unedited-star-wars-we-want
 

a snippet…
 

"Disney is doing all kinds of things with the Star Wars universe now that it has purchased the franchise away from George Lucas. In addition to the three sequel films, there will be “at least three” spin-off movies, which will likely be origin stories for some of the supporting cast of Star Wars characters. The House of Mouse is pouring a tremendous amount of time and money into Star Wars, and Disney could be the new arbiter of the Holy Grail of Star Wars requests: a remastered release of the unedited, non-special-edition original trilogy.

Unadulterated, “pure” versions of the original Star Wars films are difficult to come by. Except for one sad, low-resolution release on DVD in 2006 (which we’ll discuss in a moment), the films have only been available in their modified “Special Edition” forms since 1997, when George Lucas re-released the films to theaters with a series of changes. Some of those changes aren’t bad at all—the fancy new attack on the Death Star in Episode IV is perfectly cromulent—but others are absolutely terrible. In Return of the Jedi, Jabba’s palace gains an asinine CGI-filled song-and-dance interlude. Dialogue is butchered in Empire Strikes Back. And in the first movie, perhaps most famously, Han no longer shoots first."

The article is definitely worth taking the time to deep dive into - it may be from 2017 - though many of the well-crafted and researched points made in it… still stand today.
 

‘OK, so the original Star Wars trilogy probably isn’t coming back’:-

The odds of seeing restorations of the classic trilogy this year are low. They’re very, very low.

http://www.forcematerial.com/home/2017/2/24/ok-so-the-original-star-wars-trilogy-probably-isnt-coming-back - 2017 article
 

a snippet…
 

"Sadly, Pablo Hidalgo has come along to rip out our fluttering hearts and show them to us before we died.

Hidalgo, a key member of Lucasfilm’s vaunted Story Group, would almost certainly know if there were any plans underway to re-release the original cuts of the films, and judging by his response to the rumour, it doesn’t sound like it’s on the agenda:-
 

Celebrating 20 years of that unaltered re-release rumor.

— Beloved By Reddit (@pablohidalgo) February 23, 2017

 
Hidalgo’s trademark snark has gone over about as well as you’d imagine, although he does sympathise with the fans who want to see the original films (“I prefer my ‘70s movies to look like ‘70s movies”, he told one fan).

Ultimately, though, it’s not up to him, and Hidalgo seemed to confirm the widely held belief that, somehow, the original cuts can only be released with vengeful god George Lucas’ permission, despite the fact that Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney for a casual $4 billion in 2012.
 

@Shatterhand1701 As far as I know, there’s only one person who could make this happen and he hasn’t seemed > all that interested.

— Beloved By Reddit (@pablohidalgo) February 23, 2017

 
Meanwhile, the folks at The Digital Bits conferred with sources at Disney and 20th Century Fox, the two studios that would need to come to an agreement to make the re-release happen (despite the sale of Lucasfilm, Fox owns the distribution rights to the first Star Wars film in perpetuity).

They report that, while the elements needed to reconstruct the original ’77 cut of the first film have been preserved, no such reconstruction work has been done to date.
 

Still, we can hope, right?

Restorations are built on hope…"
 

Panakin said:

oojason said:

I thought I was on a reddit thread for The Last Jedi for a while there - not in an OT.com thread - supposedly for an TLJ Edit…
 

Cant slam JJA with out giving Ruin Johnson his fair share of criticism of what he did. Both men are at fault equally with what happened

You missed the point - this isn’t the section of the site for these type of remarks.
 

As has been said of many occasions…
 

oojason said:

An Index & Help Thread for Star Wars Fan Edits and Other Projects… to try and help members find information on, and links to, the many various Edits & Other Projects that have originated on the OriginalTrilogy•com down the years…

 

A quick reminder that the Star Wars Preservation and Star Wars Fan Edit sections of the site are NOT the places to bash on certain eras or aspects of the films, actors, film-makers or owners - or any perceived ‘agendas’ or politics thereof.

There are far more relevant threads in the Beyond the Original Trilogy or General Star Wars Discussion sections of the site to talk about this.

Critiquing a scene in the Star Wars Fan Edits section with the aim of improving it, removing it, altering it etc is perfectly fine. Statements such as ‘Disney sucks’ and ‘this film is so shit no Fan Edit can save it’ is not.

Fan Editors, Preservationists and members do not want the same sort of repeated comments and discussions in the ‘Fan Project’ areas - especially when they’ve already taken place (and continuing) in other more relevant sections of the site, as linked to above.

Do you wish to carry on with those kind of remarks in here?

I thought I was on a reddit thread for The Last Jedi for a while there - not in an OT.com thread - supposedly for an TLJ Edit…
 

Some useful and informative OT•com threads on the suppression of the unaltered theatrical cuts of the Original Trilogy films…

 
An introductory thread highlighting countless fans’ love and appreciation for the three Original Trilogy films in their unaltered theatrical release form - and the importance of preserving them for future generations the world over to experience and enjoy. To also spotlight the tremendous collective effort and talent that went into making these three iconic and ground-breaking movies - some of which have been removed and replaced; unseen for many years (unless viewed on obsolete media formats)…

Emphasising Lucasfilm’s reluctance to even discuss or address the issue of preserving and releasing the unaltered theatrical classic cuts of the OT since their substandard DVD ‘bonus disc’ release in 2006 - which was riddled with various quality issues, even when taking into consideration the source used… was an already 13-year old 1993 master meant for a laserdisc release.

Calling attention to the continuing changes made to the three films over the years, as well as the conflicting reasons given for the making continuing alterations to the Original Trilogy. And also chronicling the blurring of the Original Trilogy’s actual history in film… with later revisions, retcons, and some obfuscation…

…all as part of the dedicated and ongoing efforts here by fans all over the world to simply give people a choice; the option to buy and experience an official release of the unaltered award-winning classic Star Wars films - the very movies which underpin the entire Galaxy Far Far Away - on a modern, high quality, digital format - with the love, attention and respect they so deserve.

Below is a small selection of the many informative, insightful and quality threads on here which cover many various topics supporting the site’s enduring goal for an official dedicated release of the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy…

 
• Disney+ Should Offer the Star Wars Original Cuts—All of Them - doubleofive’s article for Wired. a backup to the Wired article

^ A quality and comprehensive article on why the films are important to the people who grew up with them, why they wish to have the option to experience them as they originally were released - as well as preserving important and cultural film history for everyone to view and enjoy. A reminder that the various ‘Special Edition’ versions are NOT the award-winning, iconic, landmark & ground-breaking original version of the films. And highlights just why we are here - some of us for many years, and some just taking our first steps…

#ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy • What We Want And How To Make It - a sequel piece by doubleofive to the above Wired article.

• “Disney+ Should Offer the Star Wars Original Cuts” 2020 article - on Wired (OT•com thread on the Wired article by doubleofive)
 

❗ #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy | OriginalTrilogy•com’s enduring goal | How YOU can help… ❗

^ The OT•com supporting the #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy campaign - the call for an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the three classic Star Wars films - and what YOU can do to help restore them to the galaxy. MTFBWY… Always.

 
• That Star Wars Feeling… | What Star Wars has meant to you | How has Star Wars aged with you? | What feels most Star Wars

• The first time in 1977 | Star Wars mania in 1977 | Random memories from 1977-83 | When you were introduced to Star Wars

• Opinion: on the Original releases | Thoughts From Your First Viewing Of The OT? | How did you first see the Star Wars films?

• A Long Time Ago… - Share Your Star Wars Story - the first time you saw the Original Trilogy films…

• How many times have you bought the movies?

• What is your main way of watching the Original Trilogy?

• When/Why did you become an Original Trilogy purist?

• “I am wondering… why are you here?”

• I want my kids to see the unaltered Original Trilogy in a real theater | The New Generation of Star Wars Fans

• Adventures in Raising the Next Generation of Original Star Wars Fans | An inclusive universe and a new generation of fans

• The 3 OT film ‘Behind The Scenes / Making Of image threads’ for… Star Wars : Empire Strikes Back : Return Of The Jedi

• Original Trilogy Film Crew & People Behind The Scenes: Profiles, Info & Links - some of the amazing people & talent on the OT.

 
• 4K restoration on Star Wars - the restoration work undertaken by Lowry Digital / Reliance Media Works. & the 2019 SE 4K release.

• What’s the status of the Originals? (the theatrical cuts of the Original Trilogy) | Evidence of the OOT at Lucasfilm?

^ As confirmed by various sources at Lucasfilm, Fox & Disney over the years - including George Lucas himself; all the material and elements required for a modern high quality release for the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy are indeed available. ^

• BFI preserving OOT!! (2006 thread; re the British Film Institute - aka the BFI)

• Remember what Lucas said about the OOT not existing…? (2006 thread; the BFI preserving the theatrical cuts of all 3 OT films)

• OFFICIAL: Library of Congress had original prints replaced with 1997 SE (2010 thread; read Mrebo’s informative post)

• The Empire Strikes Back inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry (2010 thread)

• Return of the Jedi joins the National Film Registry (2021; copies of the theatrical cuts of all 3 OT films are now at the NFR/LOC)

^ There are more discussions and information on the above topic in the ‘Fandom: Threads highlighting efforts for an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy’ and ‘The Home Releases and Formats of the differing versions of the Original Trilogy’ categories of An Index Thread for Original Trilogy Discussion.

• Robert Harris (Godfather Restoration etc) - WHY cannot Lucas restore the OOT? (2008 thread; noted film restorer Robert Harris offered his services to Lucasfilm to do the unaltered theatrical cuts of the Original Trilogy - for free - Lucasfilm never responded.)

 
• An OriginalTrilogy.com Timeline | a history of the site | the why & how it came to be…

• How George Lucas created the O-OT fanbase | A brief overview of the OriginalTrilogy•com down the years…

• George Lucas: Star Wars Creator, Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist…

• I thought the goal of this site was to get the original versions of The Star Wars Trilogy Episodes 4, 5, and 6 on DVD and blu-ray

• I love the OOT fan projects on here - yet still want a modern HQ official release of the unaltered Original Trilogy. You?

• There should be a proper release of the 1977 Star Wars at this point - 1995 saw the last dedicated release of the unaltered OT.

• Is it Lucas, or Fox, who has prevented the restored OOT release? - from before Disney acquired Fox in 2019.

• We have X in HD, but we still don’t have Star Wars - the HD format wars ended in 2008; yet still no official OOT available in HD.

• Is the idea of Criterion putting the unaltered theatrical Original Trilogy out on Blu-ray or 4K such a far-fetched concept now?

• Disney+ should release all of the theatrical versions of the Star Wars movies on their streaming service

• Our open letter to Disney and Lucasfilm & Dear Disney - in 2017; for the 40th Anniversary - Disney & Lucasfilm did not respond.

• Articles & info that highlight / call for a classic version release of the Original Trilogy : 100+ articles / sources for such a release.

• It seems like nobody involved in the making of the Original Trilogy has spoken up about GL’s oppression of the unaltered cuts

^ the thread has been updated to now include a list of Star Wars cast, crew, editors, craftsmen and executives who have spoken up…

 
• Complete Comparison of Special Edition Visual Changes - with an Index for Sources of Info on the changes made to the OT films.

• The Lost Art of Star Wars - article by doubleofive. A gallery of shots where the original work for the theatrical version of the OT… is just gone. Some of it award-winning, some if it using technology they were sometimes inventing to complete, and all of it… film history.

• List of Academy Awards for The Original Trilogy - article by doubleofive. Includes content replaced in the various Special Editions.

• An Index of OT•com threads on all things the Audio of the Original Trilogy - including the many audio changes and many mixes.

• Reasoning Behind Changes from Release to Release

• You’d think they’d clean this up - the unfixed issues of the 2004 OT SE DVD release…

• What HASN’T changed on the 2011 OT SE Blu-ray release – the uncorrected mistakes…

• Uncorrected mistakes or unfixed issues of the 2019 OT SE 4K/UHD release? (Maclunkey!)

• Modern Special Edition Revisionism - retcons, re-writing & clouding of the history for the three iconic films… in official sources.

• I’ll never understand the attitude of people who oppose the release of the unaltered original trilogy

• Why are people like this? - people who mistakenly argue it is impossible restore the unaltered theatrical cuts of the Original Trilogy.

• The 'Naysayer Guide’ by people who DON’T want an unaltered theatrical release of the Original Trilogy…

 
The above collection of threads require continuing contributions and efforts from you - the members of this resourceful and resolute community - to keep these relevant and discerning sources of information maintained and updated… in a bid to help inform, educate, chronicle, and be a reference point for those who wish to know more about the unedited original versions. To contribute and improve upon these discussion threads - to share your stories of what the Original Trilogy means to you…

The same original version of the three films which have not had an official dedicated release to purchase and be experienced by the public for over a quarter of a century - and counting. That a new generation of fans know little of - or have been misinformed by the retcons, revisionism and obfuscation of these pioneering and landmark films’ history.

The unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy which stood for some 20 years, which underpins the entire Galaxy Far Far Away, remaining much-loved and often requested… and yet according to George Lucas… “no longer exists”.

To put it simply, it is your posts in striving to improve the above indexed threads, keeping them updated and maintained - that will determine how much of a benefit they can be to the wider community here - not just here in the present, but for the future too - also as a chronicle of quality, authentic and trusted information along the way.

So if you come across an insightful, informative, quality article, or piece of information - or have some thoughts, stories or ideas yourself that you’d like to talk about or share in the above threads - then please post them up…
 

We need your help, we can’t do this alone - some of us are ‘getting too old for this sort of thing’… 😉

For more info on the OT•com site and original mid-2000’s petition… see the Sites and Publications Supporting the Petition forum, as well as many threads in the Original Trilogy Discussion and Theatrical Cuts vs. Subsequent Releases sections…

…the ‘Fandom’ section of An Index Thread for Original Trilogy Discussion and A brief overview of the OriginalTrilogy•com down the years… may also be of interest / for further reading.
 

From a certain point of view… every member who signed the petition, joined and registered here, or simply made a post or thread on here… is part of the collective fan effort to highlight the enduring wish for an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy films. To experience these iconic, pioneering and much-loved movies on a modern digital format - with the love, care & respect they so longingly deserve.

 
The threads indexed above discuss topics surrounding the call for an official release of the much loved unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy - and benefit from your input and contributions. So we ask you, the resolute members of this rebel base site to please help us to do just that - if you see any articles or information of quality, insight or interest, have any thoughts yourself you’d like to discuss, or stories you’d like to share… please add them to above threads. MTFBWY… always.

If you have any suggestions for quality & informative threads to be added to the above directory, please post them below - thank you.
 

The quality ‘Be A Rebel’ poster above is by the very talented Vitor Camacho - more of his work can be found here at his Behance page.

‘5 Reasons Why Lucasfilm Needs To Release The Unaltered Theatrical Cut Of The Original Trilogy On Blu-Ray’:-

Hardly a month goes by where there isn’t a rumor making the rounds that an unaltered theatrical cut of the Original Trilogy is finally coming to Blu-ray before being quickly shot down by Disney and/or Lucasfilm. It’s a seemingly endless cycle of false hope and harsh reality.
 

All 5 links below are from the EpicStream website - a 5-part article, from 2017:-
 

1. ‘To Withhold The Original Cut Is To Encourage Piracy And Enable Pettiness’

“Some might say it’s cheap to argue that by restricting access to something, you’re only encouraging people to obtain it illicitly, but tell that to the speakeasy operators and bathtub gin brewers of the Prohibition days. The simple fact is that many fans aren’t above resorting to legally dubious methods (i.e. piracy) if it’s the only way they can watch the unaltered cut of the Original Trilogy, especially considering the only reason it’s not widely available is because of George Lucas’ pettiness. Make no mistake; the man is a true visionary, but to deny fans access to something they cherished growing up just because it’s not the version you like, even though it’s the version you felt comfortable releasing in theaters in the first place, is the act of a petty individual.”
 

2. ‘It’s Nice To Have Options’

“Just because fans want to be able to watch the unaltered theatrical cut of the original trilogy in crisp, clear 1080p (or even 4K) doesn’t mean that none of them want to see the versions with Lucas’ various revisions, as well. In fact, for every 100 fans that demand the theatrical cut, there’s probably 100 more that are perfectly happy with – or even prefer – the updated CGI, additional lines of dialogue, and Greedo shooting first (hey, to each his own). The point is, it’d be nice to have the option to watch the unaltered version of the trilogy for those that prefer it.”
 

3. ‘Fans Yearn For The Versions They Saw In Theaters When They Were Young’

"Why are diehard Star Wars fans so hung up on getting an unaltered cut of the Original Trilogy on Blu-ray? It’s simple – they just want to be able to enjoy the versions of the films they saw in the theaters as children, but in a manner that capitalizes on the outstanding capabilities of modern technology. They want to scratch that nostalgic itch, and aside from worn out VHS copies and the 2006 bonus DVDs (poor laserdisc transfers that weren’t formatted for widescreen TVs), there’s no reasonable/legal way to do it. We live in a world where nearly every R-rated film can be purchased in either the theatrical or unrated cut; a world where you can purchase five different versions of Blade Runner on Blu-ray; a world where you can purchase either the theatrical or extended cut of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. That being said, it makes no sense that fans aren’t able to see the Original Trilogy of one of the most influential film franchises of all time in its original incarnation. "
 

4. ‘It’s A Guaranteed Cash Cow’

“Do Disney and Lucasfilm not like money? It sure seems like they do, considering they’re moving all of their content to an exclusive streaming service in 2019. So why, then, are they seemingly not interested in offering something there’s already a massive demand for? In 2011, when Episodes I-VI were released on Blu-ray (sans the unaltered cut of the Original Trilogy), it sold more than one million units after only a week on the market, shattering records for the high-definition format and generating more than $84 million in worldwide sales. Obviously, those sales include purchases made by casual fans of the franchise, and while an unaltered cut of the Original Trilogy would appeal more so to hardcore fans, Disney/Lucasfilm could still generate a pretty massive payday.”
 

5. ‘It Would Finally Silence Angry, Nostalgic Fans’

“As much as Star Wars purists are hard-pressed on getting a Blu-ray copy of the unaltered Original Trilogy, they’re also sick and tired of hearing other fans beg for it – perhaps just as much as the people who could care less which version of the films they watch. Before infighting destroys Star Wars fans like it nearly did to the Sith, to put an end to the in incessant pleas once and for all, Lucasfilm should bite the bullet and find a way to release the unaltered theatrical cut of the Original Trilogy on Blu-ray.”
 

‘A load of ‘MacClunkey’: will George Lucas’s Star Wars tinkering never end?’:-

Lucas has apparently changed the famous Greedo scene in 1977’s Star Wars again, for its broadcast on Disney+. It’s yet another pointless edit by the director

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/13/macclunkey-george-lucas-star-wars-disney-plus-greedo - 2019 article
 

a snippet…
 

“Who’s that cackling maniacally, the puppet master we all thought had long ago left the Star Wars scene, suddenly revealed to have been pulling strings in the background all along? It’s not Emperor Palpatine, seemingly restored to life in trailers for the forthcoming Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker despite being killed by Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi. It’s George Lucas, the saga creator whose departure from all things Star Wars seems to have been greatly exaggerated – especially if reports that he has yet again doctored the famous Greedo scene in 1977’s Star Wars turn out to be true.”
 

and…

"Disney’s mixed attitude to Lucas and Star Wars should also be questioned. If executives don’t trust the film-maker to get involved creatively in new episodes of the franchise – as Lucas has reported – why has he been given permission to vandalise his older work?

And if Disney doesn’t actually care about upsetting Lucas, why has it failed to deliver the official “de-specialised” version of the original trilogy that many fans would sell their limited edition 1983 Rancor toy (with movable mandible) to view just once before they pass off this mortal coil?

Had Disney+ debuted with the original films in their unaltered state, the service would instantly have become an essential subscription. Instead, we have the pretty middling The Mandalorian and yet another pointless edit to Solo’s first action scene. What a load of MacClunkey."
 

Another official site article to add to Fated’s quality thread for the 40th anniversary of Empire…
 

‘Empire at 40 | The stories begind 5 amazing matte paintings from The Empire Strikes Back’:-

Industrial Light & Magic created worlds with just pain and glass.

https://www.starwars.com/news/empire-at-40-5-amazing-matte-paintings-from-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back

‘Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master - part 1’

‘Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master - part 2’

were also included in the ‘40th Anniversary section’ for Empire - despite being made in 2012 - though great videos themselves.
 

There is also a 58 image gallery on Ralph McQuarrie’s art for Empire at https://www.starwars.com/empire-40th

‘Defining Moments: I know’ article - https://www.lucasfilm.com/news/defining-moments-i-know - though no mention of how George Lucas hated it - and Empire’s director Irvin Kershner apparently having to fight to keep it in the film.

‘George Lucas Apparently Went “Apeshit” Over Harrison Ford’s Classic Line “I Know” From Empire’ - https://geektyrant.com/news/george-lucas-apparently-went-apeshit-over-harrison-fords-classic-line-i-know-from-empire-strikes-back - with quotes from Irvin Kershner and Harrison Ford (with video interview of Ford, by Jon Favreau).

‘The Empire Strikes Back’ at 40: What the ‘Star Wars’ sequel’s iconic special effects owe to Ray Harryhausen:-

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-empire-strikes-back-star-wars-special-effects-ray-harryhausen-212159259.html

^ Decent interview, recollections and videos with Dennis Muren.

 
‘Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge - Trailer’:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynDMTiamRRY - at the official ‘Star Wars Kids’ youtube channel. (2 mins)

'Star Wars Jedi Challenge to debut on June 3rd, on Star Wars Kids’:-

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-jedi-temple-challenge-premiere
 

'Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, the new game show set in a galaxy far, far away, will soon arrive in our own.

Premiering with two full episodes on June 3, 2020, the weekly series tests young Padawans’ strength, knowledge, and bravery in a series of trials designed to discover who is capable of becoming a Jedi Knight.

The 10-episode series will debut on StarWarsKids.com and the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel, which currently host 'Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures,’ ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars fun facts, craft and drawing tutorials’, and several other activities for young fans.’

“With so many children and families home and looking to Star Wars for hope and entertainment, we wanted to make Jedi Temple Challenge available to as many young fans as possible by airing the series on our Star Wars Kids network for everyone to enjoy,” says Lucasfilm’s senior director of Online Content & Programming, Mickey Capoferri.

Ahmed Best, known to many fans as Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars prequels, hosts the show as a new Jedi, Master Kelleran Beq. Best guides players through three rounds of trials as they vie to become Jedi Knights and wield the iconic symbol of the guardians of peace and justice, the lightsaber. Accompanying Best is Mary Holland (Veep, Upright Citizens Brigade) who voices the wise-cracking protocol droid companion AD-3, and Sam Witwer, who gives a unique voice to the dark side of the Force. Witwer recently reprised his role as the voice of Darth Maul in the critically acclaimed final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.’
 

Looks a lot of fun for the kids taking part - and for Ahmed Best. I hope it does well.
 

Episode 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF8mT0RMqDA
Episode 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eemsUbm3vcA
Episode 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZpmUpzR1Hc
 

’From A Certain Point Of View’:-

https://contingentmagazine.org/2019/12/10/certain-point-of-view - 2019 article
 

A snippet…

"There are two key myths at the heart of the Star Wars saga: first that creator George Lucas came up with all the events of the saga, then split it apart into different films; the second is that the story was always intended to be about Anakin Skywalker’s downfall and redemption by his son Luke.

It’s true that Lucas struggled to pare down his complex scripts into the final draft that became 1977’s Star Wars. He had more ideas than he could use for a single film. At different points, Lucas claimed that the story would unfold over multiple film series (either 6, 9, or 12 films in total). But as much as aspects of this claim may be true from a certain point of view, there’s simply no one document or master plan that outlined everything that Star Wars would become.

The truth is more complicated than myth, and the quickest version of that truth is that Lucas built out the Star Wars saga through retroactive continuity, or “retconning.” Simply put, this means that Lucas fleshed out the backstory as he went, adding character histories and ideas that changed our understanding of the material. This is especially evident when examining the character of Darth Vader. Looking at textual evidence, A New Hope (the subtitle itself added for a 1981 theatrical re-release) rebuts the notion of the saga being Anakin Skywalker’s story. We now read into the first film—his training as Obi-Wan’s apprentice, what the Clone Wars were, how Emperor Palpatine took power—with ideas that have been put into our heads ex post facto. But in the original film, Darth Vader is more henchman than primary villain, sidelined in scenes by other Imperial officials."
 

and…

“Over nearly forty years, Lucas took Star Wars from crowd-pleasing whiz-bang fun to a full-blown family soap opera. When it comes to the story behind the story, perhaps Lucas reacted like many of us might, preferring to craft a tidy narrative in retrospect in order to make some sense of the chaos and stress he experienced while making the films. But in the process, Lucas rewrote our memories of what Star Wars is, at the same time obscuring where it came from and how it became such a cultural touchstone.”
 

^ 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.”
 

Great idea for a thread, Vin! 👍

Edit: as V.I.N.Cent is no longer around the site, he won’t be able to update his quality Index any further with new articles. So…
 

A continuation of the Index in the opening post of this thread - for new ‘articles and sources of information’…
 

1. Disney+ Should Offer the Star Wars Original Cuts - at Wired by doubleofive & his OT•com thread

2. What We Want And How To Make It - at Star Wars Visual Comparisons (by doubleofive)

3. The Star Wars George Lucas Doesn’t Want You To See - at The Atlantic

4. J.J. Abrams is calling for the original versions of ‘Star Wars’ to be released - at NowThis

5. Dear Disney - A Plea for the Unaltered Original Star Wars Trilogy - at HelloGreedo (with many more videos)

6. Why We Should Be Able to See Star Wars‘ Original Theatrical Cut - at 411 Mania

7. Star Wars on Blu-ray: George, don’t do that… - at The Guardian

8. We Can’t See ‘Star Wars’ Anymore - at New York Times

9. Why releasing the ‘Star Wars’ theatrical cuts is culturally important - at Hypable

10. From A Certain Point Of View - at Contingent Magazine

11. Disney Can Now Release The Unaltered Star Wars (But They Probably Won’t) - at Screen Rant

12. The glass-half-full gift of the only official unaltered Star Wars Original Trilogy DVDs - at SyFy

13. Why Hasn’t Disney Released The Original Unaltered Star Wars Films? - at Gizmodo

14. Star Wars: Why Disney Won’t Release the Original Theatrical Cuts’ - at Den Of Geek

15. A load of ‘MacClunkey’: will George Lucas’s Star Wars tinkering never end? - at The Guardian

16. Why Lucasfilm Needs To Release The Unaltered Theatrical Cut Of The Original Trilogy On Blu-Ray - at EpicStream

17. Will the original unaltered theatrical Star Wars Trilogy officially be released again - at SWNN

18. The Original Star Wars Trilogy Deserves An Unaltered Blu-Ray Release - at ScreenRant

19. The search for the ‘Star Wars’ George Lucas doesn’t want you to see - at Mashable

20. We’re Still Waiting For the Unaltered Star Wars Trilogy - at The Wrap

21. Opinion: Saving the Original, unaltered Classic Trilogy - at Star Wars Aficionado

22. George Lucas Wants Desperately To Preserve Old Movies… Unless They’re His; So Fans Do It Instead - at TechDirt

23. OK, so the original Star Wars trilogy probably isn’t coming back - at Force Material

24. Could Disney finally give us the remastered, unedited Star Wars we want? - at ARS Technica

25. The release of the Original Trilogy to DVD - at MCW Toys

26. Will the original, unaltered 1977 Star Wars ever be released on Blu-ray? - at Episode Nothing

27. Star Wars: The remarkable quest to restore the original film - at Red Shark News

28. John Landis Says Original ‘Star Wars’ Theatrical Cuts Will Be Re-Released - at IndieWire

29. Why finding the original 1977 Star Wars is verges on the impossible - at Inverse

30. A “New” New Hope: Film Preservation and the Problem with ‘Star Wars - at Popoptiq

31. Disney Has Acquired Fox; What Does that Mean for Star Wars? - at SWNN

32. An Uncut and Non-Remastered List of Star Wars Editions! - at Tor

33. Whose Film Is It, Anyway? Canonicity and Authority in Star Wars Fandom - at DOI, & Academic OUP

34. Nooo! George Lucas Makes More Changes to Original Trilogy - at CA Movies

35. Untouched is impossible: the story of Star Wars in film - at ARS Tecnica

36. Star Wars original cuts on Blu-ray: the evidence - at Den Of Geek

37. George Lucas Approved Rare Pre-Special Edition Star Wars Screening - at ComicBook

38. Star Wars Original Cuts Could Be Released, But Disney Won’t Do It - at Den Of Geek

39. Star Wars on Blu-ray: what surprises does LucasFilm have in store? - at The Guardian

40. Disney+ Should Offer the Star Wars Original Cuts—All of Them - at Wired (by doubleofive)

41. The Original Theatrical STAR WARS Trilogy Will Never Get an HD Re-release Because of George Lucas - at GeekTyrant

42. Rick McCallum - Producer of the Star Wars Special Edition - at Maik Eldas

43. Star Wars, Blu-Ray and a Boycott - at Our Gazebo

44. Disney’s Fox Acquisition Likely Won’t See Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Released - at ComicBook

45. Why Old School STAR WARS Fans Should Be Insanely Excited About The Disney/Fox Deal - at Revenge Of The Fans

46. Disney Has Acquired Fox; What Does that Mean for Star Wars? - at SWNN

47. The Disney/Fox Merger is Done; Release the STAR WARS Original Trilogy Theatrical Cut Next? - at That HashTag Show

48. Star Wars’ Films Coming to Blu-ray Next Year - at NY Times / ArtsBeat

49. Will Disney Ever Release the original pre-Special Edition Star Wars Movies? - at TheStarWarsTrilogy.com

50. A last (definitive) Original Star Wars update for a while - at The Digital Bits

51. Star Wars Doesn’t Belong to George Lucas. It Belongs to the Fans - at NY Times (2015)

52. The theatrical Star Wars trilogy hasn’t just been replaced, it’s being destroyed - at Our Culture (2021)

53. Disney Is Still Pretending The OG Star Wars Movies Don’t Exist - at ScreenRant (2021)

54. Will Disney Ever Release The Unaltered Original Star Wars Trilogy? - at ScreenRant (2022)

55. Disney Releases Non-Special Edition Star Wars OT Footage in New Trailer - at CBR (2022)

56. Original Star Wars footage used in new Disney Plus documentary - at The DigitalFix (2022)

57. Why Disney Won’t Release The Original Star Wars Films - at ScreenRant (2023)

58. Disney Needs To Release The Original Unaltered Star Wars Trilogy For One Huge Reason - at GFR (2023)

59. Will the Original Unaltered Theatrical Star Wars Trilogy Officially Be Rereleased Again? - at The Lone Wolf (2020)

60. Star Wars: The Theatrical Cuts Of The Original Trilogy Should Be On Disney Plus - at GameRant (2021)

61. Why Disney Should Re-Release the Rest of the Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy in Theaters - at Collider (2022)

62. Why I Prefer The Original Trilogy Without The Special Edition Changes - at CultureSlate (2023)

63. The secret to seeing Star Wars in its original form - at TechRadar (2022)

64. ‘Star Wars’ Fans Feel the Force Calling Them Back to Original Cuts - at Wall Street Journal (2015) (article in full here)

65. PLEASE Release the Unaltered Theatrical Version of the Original Trilogy - at The Corellian Connection (2020)

66. The Unaltered Cuts of the Original Star Wars Trilogy need an official release - at Keir Jarvie (2020)

67. Disney will NEVER release the original Star Wars Trilogy - at YellowFlash2 (2019)

68. Why I Bought Star Wars on DVD in 2023 (Theatrical Star Wars on DVD) - at Brave Blade Productions (2023)

69. How Disney have embraced, ignored, and changed the controversial SE re-releases - at Gizmodo (2022)

70. Will Disney ever release an unchanged original Star Wars trilogy? - at SO Mag News (2022)

71. 10 Disney-Owned Movies that Deserve the Criterion Collection Treatment - at Collider (2022)

72. What It Means for ‘Return of the Jedi’ to be in the National Film Registry - at FSR (2021)

73. George Lucas explains why you shouldn’t digitally alter films - at Force Material (2022)

74. What Happened to the Original ‘Lost’ Version of Star Wars? - at MoveiWeb (2023)

75. 10 Most Famous Lost Movies - at CBR (2023)

76. Star Wars Fans Don’t Care About an Original Trilogy Theatrical Cut, Says Jon Favreau - at CBR (2023)

77. Jon Favreau Doesn’t Think Most People Care About The Original Star Wars Cut - at 411 Mania (2023)

78. Mandalorian Creator Jon Favreau Addresses the Release of Theatrical Cuts of Original Trilogy - at ComicBook (2023)

79. Return of the Jedi Will Be Back in Theaters for 40th Anniversary Celebration - at StarWars•com (2023) ^

80. Return Of The Jedi Returns To The Top 5 At The Box Office 40 Years Later (2019 SE version) - at SlashFilm (2023) ^

81. The Force Is Strong With ‘Return of the Jedi’s 40th Anniversary Box Office (2019 SE version) - at Collider (2023) ^

82. Return Of The Jedi Just Proved It’s Still One Of The Best Star Wars Movies (2019 SE version) - at GFR (2023) ^

83. The Return Of The Jedi Rerelease Is Number 5 At The US Box Office (2019 SE version) - at Jedi Temple Archives (2023) ^

84. Why Disney Should Re-Release the Rest of the Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy in Theaters - at Collider (2023)

85. Star Wars Fans Campaign For Disney To Release All Versions Of Every Movie - at We Got This Covered (2020)

86. Why Star Wars should be left to the fans - at the BBC (2011)

87. Why Star Wars’ Original Trilogy Looks A Bit Different On Disney Plus - at SlashFilm (2023)

88. Rebel Scanners: Preserving Star Wars (with Rob of Team Negative 1) - 55 minute video at Trash Compactor (2023)

89. Format Wars: The Journey of Star Wars on Home Video (with Nathan Butler) - 91 minute vid at Trash Compactor (2023)

90. 5 Worst Changes Star Wars Made From The Original Cuts - at ScreenRant (2023)

91. A Truck Full Of Letters Got Star Wars Re-Released In Theaters - at SlashFilm (2024)

92. 8 Director’s Cuts That Are Worse Than The Original - at ScreenRant (2024)

93. Disney, PLEASE Release the Unaltered Theatrical Version of the Original Trilogy - video at Corellian Connection (2020)

94. What Is The Star Wars 4k77 Project & Why Is It So Important To Some Fans? - at Looper (2024)

95. Star Wars Fan Remasters And Project 4K77 Explained - at SlashFilm (2024)

96. I was WRONG about the Star Wars Special Editions (Watching 4K77) - 18 min video at Brave Blade Productions (2023)

97. Return of the Jedi 4K83 Review - 5 minute video at Evan’s Media (2022)

98. 4K80 Is Finally Out! - 3 minute video at Brave Blade Productions (2024)

99. The Empire Strikes Back Original Theatrical Version Restored In 4K By Fans - at GFR (2024)

100. The ORIGINAL THEATRICAL version of Empire Strikes Back is here! - 4K80 - 7 minute video at Evan’s Media (2024)

101. How Rebel ‘Star Wars’ Fans Saved the Original Movies - at New York Times (2024; in full & free: https://archive.ph/H9jFd)

102. Harmy’s Despecialized Edition facebook page discussion thread - on the above NY Times article (2024)

103. How ‘Stars Wars’ Fans are Saving the Original Movies by Hunting Down Film Reels - at Peta Pixel (2024)

104. 10 Director’s Cuts That Are Worse Than the Theatrical Version - at CBR (2024)

105. The Fans Who Saved “Star Wars” - at Movie Mezzanine (2014)

106. The original Star Wars is back – but what if George Lucas is right about it not being much good? - at Guardian (2025)

107. Not-so-special edition of Star Wars to screen for the first time in 47 years - at AV Club (2025) : OT•com BFI thread

108. A “Star Wars” sensation is brewing: Will you soon be able to see the complete Original Trilogy? - at FilmStart (2025)

109. Star Wars: Original Trilogy Theatrical Cut Finally Returning? - 12 minute video at Just Star Wars (2025)

110. My Lifelong Star Wars Dream Might Actually Come True! - 12 minute video at Nerd Cookies (2025)

^ (No. 79-83) = a limited time release of the 2019 SE of Return of the Jedi made the Top 5 of US cinema takings in May 2023 (marketed as the 40th anniversary of ROTJ). It makes you wonder how much money an unaltered theatrical cut release would have taken - and also disproves Jon Favreau’s baffling prior claim re the unaltered original cuts:-
 

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

 
Which is actually quite similar to George Lucas’ quote re the 2006 GOUT DVDs - shortly before being released…
 

“It’s just the original versions, as they were. We didn’t do anything to it at all. But we’re not sure how many people want that… Now we’ll find out whether they really wanted the original or whether they wanted the improved versions. It’ll all come out in the end.”

 
^ this despite Lucasfilm already acknowledging in their announcement for the 2006 GOUT DVDs… that the release was due to “overwhelming demand” and that “over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us they would love to see and own the original version they remember seeing in theaters”.

Note: the 2006 GOUT DVD release, despite originally being available for a “limited time” between 12th September and 31st December of 2006 were still being pressed and sent to retail stores as of April 2011. They were also still being sold in stores until September 2011 - until just before the 2011 SE version on blu-ray was released.

As George Lucas stated just before the substandard quality 2006 GOUT DVD release (plagued with new + careless DNR issues)…

“Now we’ll find out whether they really wanted the original or whether they wanted the improved versions. It’ll all come out in the end.”

Seems it did indeed “all came out in the end”.
 

An insightful and informative article from 2012, by Emmet Asher-Perrin, that many on here may recognise and agree with…

 
‘Lucas Shot First: The Surprisingly Powerful Sense of Betrayal George Lucas Creates’ - at ReactorMag | archived copy

‘Dear Disney - A Plea for the Unaltered Original Star Wars Trilogy’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1a4yKJOzYU - at the HelloGreedo youtube channel. (2015 - 4 minutes long)
 

HelloGreedo has similar feelings to many here on wanting an official release of the unaltered Original Star Wars trilogy…

A few of his other quality videos on the subject:-

‘JUST DO IT - Release the Original Cut of the Star Wars Trilogy’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0HKSSW8adM (2015; 1 minute long)

‘RUMOR - Disney Releasing the Original Cut of Star Wars’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKtkmeGp8iA (2015; 4 minutes long)

‘RUMOR: Unaltered Star Wars Trilogy Being Release This Year - Here We Go Again’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WjAlJQm_H4 (2017; 4 minutes long)

‘I’m Done With Unaltered Trilogy Rumors’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnEcXksaw8Q (2017; 3 minutes long)

‘J.J. Abrams wants the Original Theatrical versions of Star Wars, too’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOHgaPQTTlc (2019; 6 minutes long)

‘OH MY GOD IT WAS CHANGED AGAIN - “Maclunkey” - Star Wars Changes’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wFNyaCGpvk (2019; re the 2019 SE Release / Disney+ changes - 7 minutes long)

‘The most authentic UNALTERED THEATRICAL cut of Star Wars is here … and it’s in 4K | PROJECT 4K77’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwnMWS1iFTE (2020; 4 minutes long)

‘Despecialized vs 4K83 vs Disney+ vs Official Blu-Ray - RETURN OF THE JEDI - Star Wars Changes’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUYywx6ojVg (2021; 12 minutes long)

‘Steven Spielberg Gets It’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvWUG_16oo0 (2023; 4 minutes long)

‘Some People Don’t Get It - Star Wars Changes’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bS-qoPbrYQ (2023; 10 minutes long)

‘4K80 Now Available! | Star Wars Unaltered Original Trilogy’:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbyAkc4__tc (2024; 4 minutes long)

This 15 minute youtube video by SG10 Film Archive, in November 2024, explains some early laserdisc-based preservations…
 

‘How Fans Saved Star Wars - Laserdisc Bootlegs (Part I)’

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSLBmq4kjN4
 

Happy Star Wars day 👍
 

Ripplin said:

Anyone else getting PMs from users with 1 post asking for links or trades for fanedit stuff and whatnot? Makes me wonder how many people they’re asking.

Hopefully nobody is giving them links - or trades to fan edits.

And if anyone is getting annoying PMs from members here with 0 posts to their name they will let the moderators know.

SWOTFAN25’s Episodes 1-9 into ONE cohesive Fanedit project may be of interest too - I think it is currently unfinished - yet contains a fair few ideas are in there…
 

^ A top idea for a quality and helpful project, Rodney-2187.

A single thread, updated regularly, with information for many of the countless and quality documentaries and specials re the Original Trilogy (and Star Wars in general) made over the years will be most useful. 👍
 

Wishing you all the best with this - and sincerely hope other members of the community on here also chip in and help…

Edit (21st February, 2024) : Well, that sucks…
 

Rodney had created a quality and easy-to use spreadsheet compiling a wide range of Star Wars documentaries and special features released over the years - with links to where they can be found.

It was a most useful and informative guide… yet unfortunately it appears Rodney2187 has deleted the ‘Guide to Star Wars Documentaries and Special Features’ from the original post above (as of February 2024), along with any record of his conversations in this thread, and also edited the thread title to a ‘.’.

In an attempt to preserve the ‘Guide to Star Wars Documentaries and Special Features’ project…

 
I’ve updated and repaired some of the old / broken / removed content… with new working links and information.

…So there is now an updated Mega link to the Guide found below - an MS Office Excel spreadsheet (34kb). 👍

^ All of this is based on an older backup copy of Rodney’s original quality Guide.

❗ ‘Guide to Star Wars Documentaries and Special Features’ ❗

https://mega.nz/folder/wasyCLQb#0NJz-PAAqsC3nOlvGPkFqg (an MS Office Excel spreadsheet - 34kb in size)

^ last updated: Saturday 9th August, 2025.

If you know of any better quality sources and links - or have suggestions for any more documentaries and specials to be added to the ‘Guide’ - send me a PM and I’ll add them to the ‘Guide to Star Wars Documentaries and Special Features’.

Or preferably, if anyone wants to take over the running of Rodney-2187’s old project - just let me know - and I’ll do my best to help out with a working & up-to-date Guide… and try and provide any information or assistance that may be required. 👍

The 9️⃣ • Star Wars Documentaries, Specials, Bonus Materials, Trailers, and more… category of An Index Thread of Star Wars Preservation may also be of interest for anyone looking for certain documentaries, specials, trailers, and bonus features etc.

The ‘Documentaries’ section of ‘An Index Thread for The Expanded Universe’ has a much info & relevant threads, too.

benduwan has also compiled a list of useful Documentaries and Special Features + OT•com links in the next post below this.

^ the above project may also be of interest - featuring some 80+ preservation projects across the following categories…

• Documentaries and Bonus Features
• Audio Preservation Projects & Releases
• Ancillary and Miscellaneous Projects

This project and info thread over on TSWT forums may also be of interest (a quality suggestion by benduwan - thanks):-

https://forums.thestarwarstrilogy.com/threads/star-wars-officially-released-documentaries-and-special-features.6696
 

^ for anyone wishing to join the TheStarWarsTrilogy•com forums this thread had all the information you will need…

TheStarWarsTrilogy.com - and invite codes to it (read the actual thread before posting!) - and look in the 2nd post of the thread.

(I’m only on here to update the various Index & Help threads around here, chat with some old friends in PMs, help out on a few projects… and answer any queries / provide some assistance to anyone that asks in PMs - as I’ve always done. I’ve no plans to return and start posting on the OT boards again - other than outside of some rare ‘congratulations’, ‘milestone’ & ‘heads-up’ type posts etc.)

#ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy ✊ ❤️