George Lucas said they no longer existed but we all knew that was a lie.
So, hot on the heels of the news that new 4K transfers of the original Star Wars trilogy have been created, come rumours that the original theatrical versions of the films will be released on Blu-ray next year. Fans have been clamouring for the unadulterated versions of these films to be released for years but, whilst Lucas was in charge, we were continually told that the original camera negative no longer existed. No one really believed that and the main reason for the 1997 reissue was to restore the original camera negative of all three films - but especially Star Wars.
However, a full restoration of the original camera negative for a proper Blu-ray release would be expensive and the notoriously tight Lucas wasn't prepared to spend the money. Instead, fans had to settle for the frankly insulting non-anamorphic DVDs released in 2006 that used old Laserdisc masters. In fact even the Blu-ray release from 2011 only used older high definitions transfers that left a lot to be desired in terms of picture quality. Thankfully, Disney are now in charge and they have a long history of taking care of their back catalogue, giving their films the treatment they deserve.
Apparently Disney have been working on these restorations for some time but the process has been complicated by the continuing poor quality of the original camera negatives. However, the plan is to release the complete and unadulterated versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , as they were seen in the cinema in 1977, 1980 and 1983 respectively. This is welcome news for those of us who have become sick and tired of Lucas's constant tinkering, which actually began as early as the 1978 reissue of Star Wars. Perhaps now, as we approach the inevitable media circus that will surround the release of Star Wars Episode VII, we will finally get a chance to see Han shoot first and banish the memory of Hayden Christensen.
We reckon this is great news if true but what do you guys think?
Source: Comicbook.com
However, a full restoration of the original camera negative for a proper Blu-ray release would be expensive and the notoriously tight Lucas wasn't prepared to spend the money. Instead, fans had to settle for the frankly insulting non-anamorphic DVDs released in 2006 that used old Laserdisc masters. In fact even the Blu-ray release from 2011 only used older high definitions transfers that left a lot to be desired in terms of picture quality. Thankfully, Disney are now in charge and they have a long history of taking care of their back catalogue, giving their films the treatment they deserve.
Apparently Disney have been working on these restorations for some time but the process has been complicated by the continuing poor quality of the original camera negatives. However, the plan is to release the complete and unadulterated versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , as they were seen in the cinema in 1977, 1980 and 1983 respectively. This is welcome news for those of us who have become sick and tired of Lucas's constant tinkering, which actually began as early as the 1978 reissue of Star Wars. Perhaps now, as we approach the inevitable media circus that will surround the release of Star Wars Episode VII, we will finally get a chance to see Han shoot first and banish the memory of Hayden Christensen.
We reckon this is great news if true but what do you guys think?
Source: Comicbook.com
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