Saga Possible Future Changes and Box Sets

I know George Lucas has made many changes to the originals (and a few to the prequels: CGI Yoda, different wipes, etc.) but what will happen when Disney releases the Complete Saga: Episodes 1-9?

Will they just release the Blu-Ray versions (though I'm assuming higher quality at that point) or will they allow George Lucas to make more changes? It is, after all, his vision. Or maybe they'll even release the unaltered versions? And will they make changes to Episode VII-IX?

SO MANY QUESTIONS.

 

George Lucas is no longer involved in Star Wars, so when the Sequel Trilogy will be completed and when they'll want to release the complete saga box set with the prequels, originals and sequels by the year 2020, my guess is that it will be the 2011 edition of the prequels and originals and the original version of the Sequel Trilogy since Episode IX comes out in 2019, so Lucasfilm won't have time by 2020 to make changes to the sequels. But I guess that in this future box set, there's a high probability that they will release the original and theatrical versions of the OT and PT as a bonus disc.

 

My hope is for extended editions called The Extended Saga, or something like that.

 

Exactly. The PT especially had some pretty good deleted scenes that I would like to see integrated into the films.

 

I agree that it'll probably be the 2011 editions of trilogies 1 and 2. Possibly, theatrical editions will be released too, either as bonus discs or in a separate box set.
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but it's likely that the Lucas/Disney deal contains a paragraph or two about this. Possibly, it says that home releases of original theatrical editions have to wait until the entire third trilogy is done and a box set containing all nine episodes has been released and properly marketed as the ultimate Saga Box Set - because it's likely that Disney are contractually obligated to consider GL's latest editions official "canon".

...and I don't think any more changes will be made.

...although I wouldn't be terribly surprised if George has allowed them to remove Vader's "No. NOOOO!" from the end of ROTJ. I love that change myself, but bearing in mind the way many fans have reacted to it and the fact that Luke's added scream in TESB:SE was later removed, it's not entirely unrealistic to believe that he's had a change of heart.
Then again, he's been pretty adamant about Greedo's death scene...

 

George doesn't change (or revert) things because fans cry about it. He does it because he wants to and that's how he likes it. And you bet he has protected himself (and his work) when he sold the company to Disney. He always fought against studios making creative decisions on artistic works.

 

Yes, I know. That's what I'm saying.
We don't know why he chose to remove the scream from TESB. He may have been affected by fan reactions and he may not have. All we know is that something made him decide that the movie was better off without it.
We also do know that he does hear what people are saying about him and his decisions and that he is emotionally affected by it. It hurts him when he keeps hearing that he's a terrible filmmaker, for instance. We know that because he's said as much.
That still hasn't made him take anything back of course, but it confirms that he hears what people are saying and if someone makes a point that he thinks is valid, he might think about it for a bit and then decide to either leave things as they are, alter the movie further or simply remove the alteration.
Ultimately, it comes down to decisions made by him alone, but an idea can come from anyone. Even from us.

 

I'm not arguing that he doesn't hear what people say, I'm saying that what people say doesn't affect his creative decisions regarding the changes. It never did. It may affect his feelings, but not his personal preferences. Removing the scream (for example) was just that, his preference.

"It’s like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I’m sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I’m the one who has to take responsibility for it. I’m the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they’re going to throw rocks at me, they’re going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished."

 

I doubt the ST will have changes, unless there's a desire to put in something that was cut out. You know, like how Lucas put in the full Podrace in TPM for the DVD version. But in general, I don't think there will be an SE like with the OT.

 

^ Agreed.

Alexrd: I hear you and we are in full agreement. Maybe I'm a bit unclear about what I'm actually saying. It's just interesting to me that he would first make an addition for the SE and then remove it for the DVD release, especially since the addition was allegedly made because he didn't want to glorify suicides. As you say, he ultimately did it because he preferred it that way, but something obviously made him change his mind. It's entirely possible that he just thought it over all by himself and eventually decided that he wasn't gonna let an accidental glorification of suicides cramp his style. It's equally possible that the matter was brought up by, for instance, Irvin Kershner, who may have felt that it took away from the impact of the scene and planted a seed in George's mind.
At the end of the day, noone could tell George what to do with his movies, not even the directors he hired (although he's always been very respectful towards them) - and he would never change anything unless he'd come to a decision on his own.
I'm just saying, an idea can come from anyone.

But again, I agree with you

And I do hope that the "No"s stay.

 

My guess is that any box set with Episodes I-IX will contain the "final" editions of the films, so in the case of I-VI, the Lucas sanctioned Blu-ray versions. Although, I wouldn't be surprised by (and am really hoping for/kind of expecting) an OOT release sometime between this winter and the 40th anniversary in a couple years. As some have suggested, I could see the OOT included alongside the Blu-rays versions in a future Saga box set. As for further alterations, I doubt Lucas would come back to make any more (so in this case, fans can presumably consider the Blu-rays to be his definitive "final drafts" of the films) and I would be extremely uncomfortable with any non-Lucas alterations. Releasing the unaltered original theatrical editions of the original trilogy is one thing, but altering the man's work without his consent or approval is something else entirely. It's just an awful idea, and I think it's extremely unlikely.

 

Return of the Jedi Super Special Edition.
In the final celebrations Leia whispers into Hans ear, "I'm having a baby." Han looks shocked, then smiles and tries to hug her. She whispers "Its not yours."

Fireworks, Lando Claps. Credits.

 

I think it's safe to say "Post of the week"!

 

A bit late to the bandwagon here, but perhaps the reason Luke's scream was cut out was more to do with the fact that they just used Ian's scream from ROTJ. It sounds absolutely nothing like Mark's voice at all

For the big no added to Anakin's redemption, they used an alternate take of the same line from ROTS

 

I just thought of a very few things I'd like that (should be) easily modified:

Speed up Obi-Wan's jump out of the pit so that Maul's inaction seems more natural
Modify Palps killing of the Jedi posse so it doesn't look so easy
Modify Anakin's actions above Naboo so there is at least a sense that he's guided by the Force, rather than just randomly pushing buttons and "accidentally" turning himself into a hero

Might have other thoughts, but something said in another thread brought these to mind.

 

I find it funny that people say it's "okay" for Lucas to reinsert scenes into the PT, but when he changes the OT it's like, "OMG, *Vader "NOOOOOOOO!*

 

I doubt there will be changes to the OT or the PT. Details about the contracts etc are of course not available, but I'd guess there's something there about the final 2011-cuts being the canon of the movies. Previous versions may get released later in boxes or whatever (I'd LOVE something with all versions - theatrical TPM, original OT and special edition OT, and so on), but probably no further changes to the already existing movies (maybe, just MAYBE, some extended versions with just scene inserts but no other alterations?). Regarding the ST though, I wouldn't be surprised if we first got a theatrical version on DVD/BR, and then an extended version. More money, more marketing, and us fans would swallow it whole. If I had the chance to see 30 sec more of Solo/Luke in an extended version, bring it...

 

Probably the same people who make those PT edit videos, then turn around and give GL a hard time for altering the OT.

 

Thing is, the thinking a lot of people have when it comes to changes is largely "the OT is perfect and we don't need George messing with it". Whereas the thinking with the PT is "these scenes make the movies better, and George shouldn't have cut them in the first place".

 

Maybe some feel that the PT is perfect and they don't need George messing with that - and maybe they also feel that the Jabba scene makes ANH better and that George shouldn't have cut it in the first place.

 

I wonder if Lucas would make further changes if Disney invited him to do so. I felt quite bad for him when he said that thing about, "Why would I continue (with Star Wars) when people tell me what a horrible person I am".

I do find it interesting though, when he said something to the tune of: movies are never finished, they're abandoned. As far as I know that's almost a unique viewpoint, and I say good on him for wanting to make his movies the best they possibly can be

 

I love the OT the way it was. A couple things could be changed but the OT worked for me as was. Not apologizing either.
The PT as is has some good moments but doesn't click with me as much as the OT did. The deleted scenes help with that somewhat.
If that makes me a terrible fan, so be it.

 

I definitely don't think the prequel trilogy is perfect, and like Force Smuggler, it doesn't click with me or resonate with me the way the OT does. However, I wouldn't want him to change the prequel trilogy either, whether the changes are for better or worse, and I don't think the changes that have been made to the PT (while, CGI Yoda in TPM notwithstanding, are relatively minor) should have been made. I understand the mentality that films are "never finished, only abandoned," but I also don't think that they should be returned to past that point. Otherwise, how do you let yourself grow as an artist, if you just keep returning to the same work to refine it over and over again? That's to say nothing of the idea that works of art should be allowed to remain untouched, as is, representative of the time they were made it and the culture they were received by.

 

I myself am very respectful of both views. I love the fact that Lucas did what he could to make his saga a more consistent experience from an audio-visual standpoint than it would've been if he'd just left the older movies alone, but I'd also love it if the original theatrical experience - or at least an experience as close to it as possible - was made avilable, for reasons already stated a million times over the years.
Lucas has the right to fulfill his dream and I am forever grateful to him for doing that, but even if he doesn't exactly owe it to the world to present us with a high-quality print of what he considers incomplete movies, what those incomplete movies mean to people around the globe is reason enough to do it. IMO.
I'll always view the latest edition of his saga as the canon one, but I would also love to go through all six episodes in their original forms - and in numerical order - just to see what happens!