Saga The Official Star Wars Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

The news is out....finally....

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet has reportedly confirmed, during a panel today at the C2E2 comic convention in Chicago, that the company is now working on a Blu-ray Disc box set of all six Star Wars films loaded with extras, for release "in the not too distant future." We're awaiting any kind of official statement from Lucasfilm - one MAY appear on Star Wars.com in the coming days. Nonetheless, MANY people who were in the panel began Tweeting reports of the news almost the moment the words left Sansweet's mouth. IGN has also reported the news with an actual quote from Sansweet: "We have been at work for a couple of years working on - I won't call it the Ultimate Set because we keep finding stuff - but, a very full set of all six movies on Blu-ray with lots of extra material. We're finding all kinds of scenes from dailies that have never been seen before. Beyond all of those things that you know about... there are some real treasures." There is no other official information at this time, but we'll post additional details when and if they come in. HOWEVER...

Consider this Rumor Mill-worthy, but our own industry sources have actually been checking in with us in recent weeks on this very subject. Our latest information is that Lucasfilm tentatively plans the official Blu-ray release to happen in October 2011. Now, we've been hearing reports like this on and off for years, and until now little has come of it. So we've been waiting to say something here on The Bits until we had a hint of more official confirmation. But now that Sansweet has begun talking about the release, we feel more comfortable reporting on the word from our sources. Plans could obviously change and again, even though Sansweet has hinted that it's coming, none of this constitutes an official announcement. But if current plans remain unchanged, our sources say you'll be enjoying The Force in 1080p next October.


This should be awesome...it's about time!

 

You know what would be dope:

All three versions of the original films on their blu rays- Theatrical, 90's Special Edition, DVD Special Edition.


I would also like to see if there could be an inclusion of some of the deleted scenes from the original trilogy much like the deleted scene from ANH that was put in the special edition.

Plus some more documentaries on how the PT was made.

 

I'm especially glad to hear about all the extras they are coming across that are surprises even to them.

We always knew there was gold in that "vault".

As far as the docs go I just hope they squeeze on as many as possible. May as well have 1-2 discs dedicated to docs alone.

Oh yeah 2012 is actually the anniversary.

 

what a great anniversary it may be.

 

I'm going to be a cynical misery guts & predict that they'll sneak more CGI into the films, including the CGI Yoda in TPM, & that the OT deleted scenes & outtakes won't amount to much, if anything.

And yes, I'll probably get it anyway, should have a Blu-Ray setup by then.

 

This really isn't news. We knew they were working on it--heck, Rick McCallum was hyping a 6-movie DVD boxset in 1999--and it's assumed there would be new outtakes, documentaries, etc.

Wake me up when they announce specs and a date.

Also, I find it strange that for years they were speaking of doing "the ultimate" Saga set with everything but the kitchen sink, but now that it's being produced "we aren't calling it an Ultimate set". Seems like they want to downplay expectations that it will be something akin to the Blade Runner release. I just hope it's better than the 2004 release, which had some decent extras but extremely few in quantity. Each film should really be a 3-disk release.

I also hope they have fixed the coloring issues on the SE. If they aren't going to release the original versions, you'd think they could at least get the bloody SE right!

Sorry to sound like a ranting internet nerd. Star Wars just has a horrible history on home video the last ten years. They should really have just let Fox Home Video take over the home thing, they usually do outstanding work.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they have learned from their mistakes and will give us a better product this time out.

They know what people want it's just a matter of doing it.

 

I'm sure this set will be just one of many Lucasfilm will release. I haven't gone into HD yet, but if the price is right for this set and they do it right this time, I might just make the leap. This release will show if Lucas is really listening to the fans or not. It should spark all kinds of debate here!

 

This is REALLY happening?

Why not enough news yet?

Oh yeah, guess that makes SENSE now

Expect announcement very soon?

 

I wonder what the chances are of possible getting the set this year? If they have been working on it for the last few years and next year wouldn't be a real anniversary anyway than maybe it will be sooner? Perhaps around Christmas of this year.

Although there are other big SW related releases due out this year (the UL2 video game and maybe Clone Wars season 2 Blu's)

 

They should let anyone who purchased the DVDs have it for free.

As a way of atoning for their sin.

 

Meh, I already have them in HD....not that I've bothered watching them....

 

LoL, that's not such a bad idea. That would add up to a lot of freebees though.

 

If you bought DVDs and didn't like them, they can be returned and you get your money back.

 

I'm new to Blu-Ray myself. How much does each disc hold? Am I correct in thinking it holds about four times as much as a standard dvd? Or am I way out? Guessing its somewhere within this region, is it even likely they'll need to release anything more than a six-disc set for the six movies? I'd love to see a twelve-disc set; 2 for each movie. Imagine the amount of content they could fit into that.

As i've said before though, I really want to see multiple audio mix options when watching the films, i.e. just score, or just dialogue and fx, or even just fx in isolation. It would really help highlight the work of both John Williams and Ben Burtt and, without score, perhaps even give us an added bonus of hearing the story unfold as it would were it really happening.

It won't be the ultimate set of course. That'll probably come when they move it into 3D for home release.

 

I will only buy it for confirmed additional material, i.e. deleted scenes, preferably from the OT. The vintage docos - The Making Of Star Wars, SPFX, Classic Creatures, From Star Wars To Jedi - might also clinch it. Restored versions of the OOT would also convince me, but that's never, ever, going to happen.

I'm not going to shell out $100+ just for the films I've already seen countless times with a bit of colour correction & added detail on Padme's navel in AOTC. DVD is fine for the time being.

Any LFL or studio people reading this thread, please pay attention to that last sentence: DVD is fine for the time being.

Any altered/additional scenes I'll happily download off the internet, just to see them. Enough's enough. Twice the number of pixels really doesn't get my motor running the way these idiots seem to think it does.

 

I don't know when I might pay for this. If I can get the Original Trilogy without the prequels than I'm in for it right away. I doubt Lucas will release the theatrical cuts on Blu-Ray though

 

In fact, while a DVD can hold up to 8.5GB roughly, a Blu-Ray can hold up to 50GB, so a little under 6x the storage.

Great news though. I've been waiting for this for awhile. I could swear though, didn't somebody at Lucasfilm say once upon a time that the series absolutely wouldn't be released on Blu-Ray? I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure somebody said he didn't expect one to ever be forthcoming...of course that was back in 2007 too. They were probably waiting for the format war to end.

Either way, definitely going to buy it.

 

Yeah. Unless this Blu-Ray release has a buttload of new material: Such as-

1. Deleted Scenes for the OT ( Or at least, storyboards showing them)
2. Old Documentaries for the OT
3. Digital Yoda in TPM

And so on, It's not worth it to buy the bluray..

 

I have to say I'm not going to jump for joy at this news. I've been to the well too many times and LFL has come up short with their DVD product.

So I will await this set with the idea that it may yet again hold back.

I want a kitchen sink set. That is Ultimate final set so they don't have to keep releasing these things.

 

Many of the things related to these releases that irk the fanbase seem to boil down to GL's stubbornness. (his refusal to release a decent version of the OT, or insisting on Greedo shooting first type changes...etc...)

I knew it wouldn't be long before people began wondering if we'd see the OT on here and already it's started and already all of those negative feelings from way back when are surfacing again.

SW fans are pretty passionate and can get heated but they can also be reasonable. I hope to hear some news regarding the OT also being included (and treated properly) in this set because that would bring everyone on board. Otherwise it's sort of like being at a party where for every one person having a good time there are five people who are miserable.

 

That's right. It would be the 04 set debacle all over again. Actually, that didn't seem to satisfy anyone. There was the OOT print condition and the coloring for the SEs.

If they just include everything, then no one could complain.

Have the films on Disc 1 with deleted scenes and commentaries and Disc 2 full of other extras. But the OOT must have a proper print.

They could even do a Blade Runner Platinum Set with everything and the kitchen sink. I would buy it if it was the right thing.

But I am tired of Lucasfilm's "hold out for another trip to the well" philosophy.

If they want to unite the fan base again in any meaningful way, they will do a proper bar raising state of the art release that takes full advantage of Blu-ray's potential.

Enough of this "were waiting for the right medium" PR. Listen, there never is a "right medium". Tech changes all the time. Did you hold out on Laserdisc because a smaller disc format was being developed? No.

So put out a be-all, end-all set on Blu-ray and be done with it for that format. Raise the bar on what a blu-ray set can be, please the fans, and then relax and go make your historical dramas.

 

^^ I could not agree anymore. A few years back we were all hoping for 1 final proper DVD release but that amounted to a big fat nothing. Then they were waiting to see who would win the HD war. That war was won years ago...still nothing.

Even though I'm pumped about this announcement October 2011 is more than a year and a half away, and it may even be longer than that for all we really know.

The one thing I never liked about SW related projects...all the damn waiting.

Or maybe I should say - all the damn waiting for something of quality that I would actually like.

 

Although I'm one of those weirdos that don't mind the DVDs... I agree with this sentiment. There are examples. One that comes to mind is the Alien Quadrilogy box set. That was released in 2003, and has been a format-defining set for all those years, staying on top of all kinds of lists and promotions as a definitive Alien DVD set. It's only now with BD that Fox is even thinking about putting out another set.

Thankfully, that one is named the Alien Anthology.

The world does need a definitive Star Wars set. That would even stop some of the prequel bashing, I think. So

 

I've been holding out for Star Wars to be released on Blu Ray to actually make the move to Blu Ray myself. I'll wait to see what exactly this new set consists of. I won't be purchasing unless they at least fix the lightsaber fx from the OT and insert digital Yoda into TPM.

I wonder will they release this set on DVD too?