With the 40th anniversary celebration for Star Wars officially kicking off with Star Wars Celebration Orlando in April 2017, the rumors about what will be announced at the show are flying the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. The newly announced 40th Anniversary panel, which will kick off the show with host Warwick Davis, could have a much-anticipated and much-rumored announcement: the Original Trilogy, original cut.
The rumor of Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi getting a high-end, non-Special Edition release has been circling since before Disney purchased Lucasfilm, though it was an impossibility with George Lucas still in charge. Disney would also have distribution legal issues to work out with 20th Century Fox, and would have to face the decision of somewhat clouding the message of whether George’s newer cuts, which hit theaters in 1997 with additional CGI, re-worked scenes, and some major changes, were the “official” versions or not.
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None-the-less, fans have worked together “despecialized editions” in illegal bootleg copies, and a rumor resurfaced last year that a high-quality version of the original cuts, both 1080p for Blu-ray and 4K for even higher-end TVs had been created by Lucasfilm. According to MakingStarWars, it sounds like that rumor turns out to be true and that the release is actually coming.
If it’s true, it’s likely to be announced at the first panel for Celebration (they are already teasing major surprises and announcements at that panel). Twenty years between special edition re-releases, and now twenty years to see the original cuts in a higher end format. You might soon be able to see Han shoot without Greedo firing, no CGI Jabba, and old Anakin as a Force ghost. Yub Nub.
More Star Wars News:
Star Wars Celebration 40th Anniversary Poster Released
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Home Release Details Officially Announced
Why Star Wars: Episode IX Will Likely Release in May 2019
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