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STAR WARS First Trilogy original cut potential release
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133 posts in this topic

This is from two months ago, but still gives 'new hope' :insane: for the Star Wars future.

The Unaltered 'Star Wars: A New Hope' Could Be Headed Back to Theaters

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In 1977, the film we think of now as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was just called “Star Wars.” Contrary to popular belief, George Lucas did not slap that “Episode IV” stuff onto the opening title crawl of the movie until a theatrical re-release in 1981. Ever since then, one could argue, Lucas altered Star Wars every time it was re-released, culminating in the controversial — but canonical —Special Editions in 1997. Since then, a theatrical re-release of the original Star Wars film that started it all has been off the table. That is, until now.

 

Last month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had a double-screening of A New Hope and Rogue One, and apparently, the cut of A New Hope was a 1981 70mm print of the film, pre-special edition. People who went to the screening said that “A New Hope” was on the crawl, but other than that, this was the original film.

 

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Now, in order for this to have happened, George Lucas probably would have needed to be okay with it, since he’s been pretty clear about the special editions being the real versions of the movies. Technically, this means the 2004 versions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which famously featured Hayden Christensen as the ghost of Anakin Skywalker at the end of the trilogy instead of Sebastian Shaw. (Obviously Hayden couldn’t have been in the 1997 re-releases because he wasn’t even cast yet.)

 

Anyway, back in 2017, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy went on record saying that she “wouldn’t touch” Lucas’s versions of the classic trilogy, implying that Lucasfilm would never do a theatrical re-release of the classic trilogy that wasn’t the Special Editions. But, that was two years ago, and way before the Fox and Disney merger was finalized. Why does this matter? Well, prior to the merger, 20th Century Fox still controlled distribution rights to A New Hope, but not any of the other movies. (This is why, if you download the classic trilogy on iTunes, Empire and Jedi won’t start with that familiar 20th Century fanfare, but A New Hope will.)

 

So, now that the 20th Century Fox merger is complete, and Disney and Fox are — at least where Lucasfilm is concerned — the same company, it seems like some of these distribution rights stuff could go away. In other words, the company that originally distributed and produced Star Wars — Fox — is connected to Lucasfilm again. And, if George Lucas is okay with the Academy showing an old 1981 print of A New Hope to film critic people in Hollywood, then, maybe, just maybe, a new re-release of A New Hope is coming.

 

After The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters this December, there won’t be a new Star Wars movie in cinemas until the Benioff and Weiss Star Wars movie in 2022. But, if Lucasfilm, Disney and Fox want something to fill that three year gap, then there’s always the possibility of the oldest, and original Star Wars to tide everyone over.

 

Edited by Bosco685
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You ever want something so bad, and then you got it, and then you were like, "Did I really want that?  Why did I want that?"

 

Yeah, butthurt fanboys are going to rejoice at Han shooting Greedo first again.  However, they are going to be dumbfounded when they realize the death star is going to explode with no more special effects than a firecracker gone awry or a bag of popcorn that was suddenly smashed open.   They are also going to realize that the lightsabers that look like cheap imitation hasbro toys will be distracting.

Oh yeah, and how Mos Eisley was not the busy spaceport that characters talked about but really a ghost town as show in the theatrical release. 

Edited by Buzzetta
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There are definitely some positive changes but many unnecessary ones as well, the result of which is distraction. I for one would at the very least like to have the option of seeing the theatrical releases. The special effects were cutting edge in their day and many people worked hard to bring what was seen at the time to fruition. Many special effects become dated over time but it does not follow that the movies suffer because of it. 2001 is still a masterpiece regardless of modern capabilities - I'm not trying to compare Star Wars to 2001.

For the record, the cloud city scenes added much depth to empire and not at the expense of anything previously there - I think. I could do without the rest though - again, for me a distraction. As a fan of movies I would really appreciate seeing them as they were if for nothing else to enjoy the craftsmanship of the day.

Again, the option would be nice.

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Those videos were very interesting.  I think I still prefer the original versions, mainly for the nostalgia factor.  I mentioned elsewhere that I saw the original HBO version (which I assume is the same as the original version) at least 30 times in 1983 or 1984.  The planet/death star explosions are definitely better in the SE, as well as some of the other changes like fixing Obi-Wan's lightsaber as he is battling Vader, but any scene with too much CGI is a bit too jarring for me.  Jabba should just be removed, as he wasn't the Vito Corleone type crime boss I picture from ROTJ. That video also showed how silly Han's head looks as it is digitally moved to the left to avoid Greedo's shot (:  And I don't really care who shot first.

 

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I personally don't need this, but younger generations might.

I remember seeing the special editions in theaters when I was around 10 years old. So, I already have the nostalgia of seeing the OT on the big screen.

For younger fans, the experience may be well worth it if they haven't seen the originals in a movie theater.

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7 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Personally, I don't think  you could be more wrong if you tried. 

Why exactly do you feel the need to refer to people who would like to see the original, unaltered version of the film as "butthurt fanboys"? 

If you prefer the revised versions of the film, guess what?  You're in luck because Lucas, Kennedy and those in control of the franchise hold the revised films as the "official" versions of the films. Those aren't going away just because they may release the original versions. 

Firecracker Death Star explosion? Toy lightsabers? Underpopulated space port? Magic-marker cover-up of the wheels on the landspeeder?  Yeah, I'm fine with ALL of it. Why?  Because it was a film made in 1977.   To my eyes, those facelift "improvements" are incongruous and stand out like a sore thumb. 

Wanting to see the original version has nothing to do with "butthurt"; I'm just a fan of old films in general - warts and all - and this film in particular. 

You've got your revised versions. Nobody's ever going to take that away from you.  We'd just like the same opportunity to see - and hopefully own - the versions we love. What's so awful about that?

I never made claim of fear or anger let alone mention that the updated version of the films would go away.  We all know that is not happening so I have no idea where you would even get that from. Maybe this does not apply to you, but my comments are directed toward the very vocal, "George-Lucas-destroyed-my-childhood" crowd. 

Personally for me, as far as the facelift given to the special effects, if this was a standalone film the I actually would agree with you. However, given it's context in a series of films, the special effects as they were in 77 stand out like a sore thumb against the other movies given the order that the movies were produced.  It's actually distracting from the narrative when viewing the complete saga. 

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1 hour ago, Buzzetta said:

I never made claim of fear or anger let alone mention that the updated version of the films would go away.  We all know that is not happening so I have no idea where you would even get that from. Maybe this does not apply to you, but my comments are directed toward the very vocal, "George-Lucas-destroyed-my-childhood" crowd. 

Personally for me, as far as the facelift given to the special effects, if this was a standalone film the I actually would agree with you. However, given it's context in a series of films, the special effects as they were in 77 stand out like a sore thumb against the other movies given the order that the movies were produced.  It's actually distracting from the narrative when viewing the complete saga. 

I'm a huge fan of the prequels, warts and all and was ten in 77 so I have fond memories of the originals. There is always going to be an awkward transition between the two trilogies despite any face lift., so I would argue it's part of the charm. 

Edited by Mr Sneeze
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Oddly enough, I think I've seen the originals so many times I have virtually no interest in a theatrical re-release. Maybe Empire, but I honestly haven't watched any of these movies in at least 10-15 years (and I have several versions of the VHS through the various phases of meddling if I wanted to go back and indulge). The desire just isn't there for me, my inner child has turned the corner.

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11 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

I never made claim of fear or anger let alone mention that the updated version of the films would go away.  We all know that is not happening so I have no idea where you would even get that from. Maybe this does not apply to you, but my comments are directed toward the very vocal, "George-Lucas-destroyed-my-childhood" crowd. 

Personally for me, as far as the facelift given to the special effects, if this was a standalone film the I actually would agree with you. However, given it's context in a series of films, the special effects as they were in 77 stand out like a sore thumb against the other movies given the order that the movies were produced.  It's actually distracting from the narrative when viewing the complete saga. 

People can like or dislike what they like. And in the case of @paperheart you can even associate such dislikes with dead nutrition company CEO's to detract from their film forecasts. :roflmao: :applause:

But as child of the original Star Wars releases, I really want to have the option to see the Original Cuts versus the Special Editions. It would be nice. That silly Han Solo flight hanger scene where he bounces/walks across Jabba's tail looks so bad.

 

Edited by Bosco685
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On 9/30/2019 at 7:35 AM, Buzzetta said:

I never made claim of fear or anger let alone mention that the updated version of the films would go away.  We all know that is not happening so I have no idea where you would even get that from. Maybe this does not apply to you, but my comments are directed toward the very vocal, "George-Lucas-destroyed-my-childhood" crowd. 

Personally for me, as far as the facelift given to the special effects, if this was a standalone film the I actually would agree with you. However, given it's context in a series of films, the special effects as they were in 77 stand out like a sore thumb against the other movies given the order that the movies were produced.  It's actually distracting from the narrative when viewing the complete saga

This was one of GL’s reasons for the Special Editions.  He wanted to smooth the transition between the 2 trilogies so they didn’t look like they were filmed 20 years apart. 

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14 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

People can like or dislike what they like. And in the case of @paperheart you can even associate such dislikes with dead nutrition company CEO's to detract from their film forecasts. :roflmao: :applause:

But as child of the original Star Wars releases, I really want to have the option to see the Original Cuts versus the Special Editions. It would be nice. That silly Han Solo flight hanger scene where he bounces/walks across Jabba's tail looks so bad.

 

lol I actually loved that scene.  Especially where Han tells Jabba that he is a wonderful human being plays well with Solo's snark.   Boba Fett looking at the camera as the scene ends is a needless addition though. 

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@Buzzetta

@Bosco685

This was originally filmed with a man playing Jabba the Hutt.  GL had to figure out a way to fix the scene to make it work.  Han walks behind the man playing Jabba and so GL thought that Han stepping on Jabba’s tail would be the best way to adapt it with the slug looking Hutt.  

Edited by Catwomancomics
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1 minute ago, Catwomancomics said:

@Buzzetta

@Bosco685

This was originally filmed with a man playing Jabba the Hutt.  GL had to figure out a way to fix the scene to make it work.  Han walks behind the man playing Jabba and so GL thought that Han stepping on Jabba’s tail would be the best way to adapt it with the slug looking Hutt.  

I know... that's another reason that it was a lucky accident in that Han tells Jabba that he is a wonderful human being.   If you had left a human actor in the mix then the line does not play well.  When you put in the slug, the line plays well considering Solo's sarcasm. 

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