CT Rumor: Disney to Release Unaltered Old Trilogy on BR

gonna have to give a "maybe" shrug to releasing the unaltered OT (go ahead and take my money again, yay!), and the PT Legends seems totally bogus.

 

I see no moral issue with releasing the OOT on blu-ray. Some people prefer it over the canon version, and that's fine by me

 

It's the original version it started the whole thing . It ought to get the respect it deserves.

 

Hell, I'd just settle for the OT to be treated like every other major release of its kind. It's not difficult, despite what some desperately want it to be.

 

Woo! More pointless rumors about removing the PT from canon!

As far as the originals go, I wouldn't mind a release that contains all versions of the films. I'm not particularly screaming for it, though.

 

Disney please don't open this can of worms.

 

I figure there's probably some meat to this, considering they've already churned out the PT on Blu-Ray... though I figure there's a whole different legal Gordian Knot to go through with the old films.

 

Whuh-huh? Fox won't see much money from just owning A New Hope??!? Um, Episode 4 is probably the single most valuable movie in existence to own the rights to in perpetuity. Ignoring the fact that we get a new release of the same version of the movie every couple years, just think of all the future technology they will benefit from. A 3-D conversion. 4k Blu-Ray. Whatever the heck technology comes down the pike in the future.

Fox is going to be a thorn in Disney's side for decades to come.

 

4k and 3D won't take off. 4K will have no value to any none technophile consumer. It's hard enough to get people to buy blu-ray, 4K will never go anywhere, except in theatrical distribution. 3D... Well, if they release glasses free 3D, possibly. But otherwise, it won't do anything. Fox didn't even release a blu-ray 3D for phantom menace.

I'd say television rights, but I hardly ever see Star Wars on tv, let alone consistently.

I have no idea what's going on with streaming. It's relatively new, and we'll see how that goes as far as consumer adoption.

Basically, my point is that so far, Fox has done diddly with a new hope the past ten or so years. One blu-ray release, that isn't even available separately, is that they've done. I could easily see disney cutting a deal for profits with episode 7 and on, just to own the home media rights to a New Hope.

It's happened before with the ability to distribute all te Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Terminator franchises, it can happen with Star Wars. Even if it's only once.

 

This sounds weird, but it would be cool to have the '97 versions on blu-ray. I've always wondered what the original CGI Jabba looked like. I've only seen clips that are a few seconds long, and... he looked... horrific xD

 

I have no doubt we're getting 3-d versions of all 6 movies eventually. That will be a major cash cow. 4k is taking off now that affordable TV's are catching up to the technology. If they can make 4k Ghostbusters, something tells me they can make 4k Star Wars.

You must not have Spike TV then.

Yeah. Sure. In the past 10 years, all they've done is release it on DVD about 4 times and release it on blu-ray twice. But yeah, besides that, they've done nothing.

With all due respect, you comparing Halloween to Star Wars pretty says all we need to know about the validity of the point you are making

 

I would love an "Archival" release of all the various versions. Just to see the many different original visions.

 

Disney can work out some deal with Fox on releasing an unaltered OT.

If the money is right, I am sure Fox would not want to pass on the opportunity. They won't be making anything off the new ST since they are not distributing those films - thus its in the best interest to work with Disney and make money off an unaltered release of the OT.

What better way to build hype for Episode VII then to have this released, say, fall 2015?

 

That article is more a shortened version of what they have been saying all over originaltrilogy.com for years.

The footage is still very much there in various forms of HQ. It can be fully restored. The 2k 1995/96 negatives can be filed away

If fan restorations can bring the unaltered Trilogy to glory in the forms of editors like Adywan (see the purist cuts of ANH and ESB and then the Revisited ESB cut when that comes out - which is amazing as a workprint) and then Harmy with his Despecialized Editions (to much debate on their creation) then anything can be achieved even if these guys are just doing it in their spare rooms.

As for Fox - they've tried pushing the boat on the unaltered trilogy on DVD since 1996. Lucas wasn't interested in it apart from his new vision. Sad really since LFL would only approve the 1992 LD masters (from the 1993 definitive releases). I had heard that Fox wanted to push it for Blu-Ray also - but LFL stopped them in their tracks.

It can and no doubt WILL happen in the very near future.

 

I'm in favor of it although something else I must have to purchase now...if true. PT is written in stone.

 

Well I really don't see how Fox is going to make much money off the OT now with Disney owning everything else.

So, wouldn't working with Disney on an unaltered blu-ray release, be in Fox best interest in order to make money off something they really don't have any real way to make money off of?

 

Releasing the theatrical cuts of the OT would make me buy a blu-ray player at last.

 

Three times, technically. Saga, trilogy, and BD/DVD trilogy.

There's nothing to work out with Fox. They have a long relationship with Lucasfilm, and there's no reason to think that the Disney buy-out would have any significant effect on that. If Disney and Lucasfilm restore the OUT, then Fox will distribute it as they have always done.

As far as the PT rumor......okay, sure thing. The PT era has been an ever-flowing river of money from the films, home video, toys, games, books, shows, and so on. The Clone Wars alone has been enormously successful. Anybody who thinks Disney/Lucasfilm would suddenly write off the films that have been the tentpole of the company for more than the last 15 years is out of their minds. I'm willing to bet we'll see some PT nods in Ep VII (the Jedi Temple or a battle droid in a junk heap, for example).

 

They'd better release it soon. Every time I feel like watching Star Wars I start up the special edition blu ray and go "It can't be that bad... last time I tried watching I probably overreacted..." 2 CGI droids humping in the background later and I'm done with it. I can't even get half way through ANH.

 

I have the Despecialized Edition of the first movie and for some reason the person who downloaded and burned it for me couldn't get the other two (I have no patience for figuring the whole torrent thing out, much less trying to find a link that just directs me to the things.) Since then I don't even feel like putting up with my theatrical "bonus discs" of V and VI anymore so I haven't watched them in a while.

 

I think Disney is going to want to remove any "plot threads" from the fandom that conflict with their Episode VII marketing. Releasing the original unaltered films will make money for Disney and Fox alike and, more importantly, help them control what kind of Star Wars talk is most prevalent. No, there may not be a bucketload of money in it, but they'll do it for the same reason Obama released his birth certificate -- to shut 'em up.

 

that would be nice, hopefully it's true.

 

Won't be holding my breath, but I'd love to see it happen.

 

Significant correction here: Avatar is Fox's most valuable commodity. At $2.75 billion in sales it's the most successful film ever made. Star Wars was a giant cash cow for the studio back in the day, but with the Disney acquisition that era is over. With three more Avatar films on the way (2016-18), I doubt Fox is weeping into their morning coffee.

That said, I agree we have every reason to be optimistic about a joint release.

 

I likewise think that it's a mistake to say there's no money in the idea. It could be one of the best things they could do for the franchise in my book.