List of changes in Star Wars re releases
Along with obvious changes to various scenes, the re-releases improved the visual and audio quality of the films. Changes to Star Wars films after the theatrical release are not always limited to the original trilogy. has no plans to release any of the Star Wars movies on Blu-ray.The following are partial lists of changes in Star Wars re-releases. The changes are controversial, with opponents claiming that these changes detract from the character arc of the films and tend to be more distracting than expedient. In a September 2004 CNN article, Lucas claimed that the original films were 25 to 30 percent of what he intended.
Theatre Rips are the only source for comparing an actual original theater release of films to changes in recent releases (aside from personal memory). The majority of these are sourced from older releases of the original films, such as the pre-1997 VHS/Laserdisc releases. Bootleg versions also include fan modified/edited versions.
These include versions of the film that are no longer available, or versions of the original films in different file formats. Lucas also spent $2.5 million each on Episodes V and VI.
One of the most well-known of these is The Phantom Edit, a version of The Phantom Menace with certain elements removed, such as the majority of scenes with Jar Jar Binks that the editor deemed unnecessary. In the case of pan-and-scan versions of the re-releases, the 2004 DVD releases were pan-and-scanned differently from the 1997 theatrical releases. In addition to official authorized releases, a black market exists for other versions.
Lowry s digital restoration and visual enhancement treatment. Thus the release was postponed indefinitely. It has been widely rumored that Lucasfilm plans on re-releasing the 6-film saga in Blu-ray Disc format with many new features and changes; however, John Singh, spokesperson for Lucasfilm, has denied there are any plans.
Some scenes deleted from the Original Editions of the original trilogy were modified and added back for later versions. The following is a partial list of changes: Note that in each of the three films, the ending credits have remained unchanged from the Special Edition releases in 1997.
The 2004 DVD box set also received John D. According to Lucasfilm, the 2004 Special Edition is the canonical version of the original trilogy, even though the original, unaltered theatrical editions were first released on DVD on September 12, 2006. An Expanded Universe , American Cinematographer magazine, February 1997. Here is a partial list of the changes made to each of the original trilogy s films. Although not as obvious as the 1997 Special Edition re-release of the original trilogy, there were still some alterations made between versions. The 70 mm version included a large number of changes from the 35 mm version that was more widely seen. Special coverage on CNN in 1997 notes that Lucas spent $10 million to rework his original 1977 film, which cost $26.49 million in 1997 spending parity, to produce in 1977.
He was quoted as saying Lucasfilm Ltd. In January 2007, StarWars.com s Questions & Answers section stated that Lucasfilm was busy with other upcoming media such as the Star Wars live-action TV series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and media related to the 30th anniversary of Star Wars.
The commercial success of Star Wars has given George Lucas the opportunity to alter his original trilogy, which is composed of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. All of the films have newer versions of the 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm production logos. The following is a partial list of changes: In 2004, a DVD box set was released, along with some changes that were made to establish a better connection between the old and new trilogies.
Thus, they do not reflect such changes as Ian McDiarmid s Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back or Hayden Christensen s Anakin in Return of the Jedi. Despite this statement, the original films were massively popular and regarded as groundbreaking , and many of his changes have met with lukewarm reception.
Many changes were motivated by George Lucas s desire to make the original films closer to his vision for them, although he directed only one of the films. The new versions made heavy use of CGI technology and other new production techniques that emerged in the two decades after the original trilogy was produced. There are also changes made to deleted scenes as well in some cases.
The exception is that the format of the ending credits was changed to that of the prequel trilogy. Three million dollars of that was spent on the audio track for the special edition.
For example, a scene where Han Solo talks to a human Jabba the Hutt was not included in the original theater, laser disc, or home video versions of Star Wars (Later renamed Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope), but was modified with CGI (Jabba the Hutt was replaced with a CGI version in the style of the Return of The Jedi Jabba.) and included in the 1997 Special Edition. Note: Many of these scenes still appear in the novelization. Note: Only select scenes appear in the Revenge of the Sith DVD. At a ShoWest convention in 2005, George Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he was planning to release all six films in a new 3-D film format, beginning with either A New Hope or The Phantom Menace in 2007. These are included in some home video versions, such as a specific DVD version.
Bootleg versions of the infamous 1970s TV special The Star Wars Holiday Special remain the only source for consumers seeking it, as Lucasfilm has yet to release the special on any format. This is a partial list of scenes that were not in a film version of the original trilogy or prequels. Other changes enhanced the cohesiveness of the films and eliminated continuity errors between the original trilogy and the three prequels (produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s).
In the release of The Phantom Menace DVD, two deleted portions were either partially or completely restored. Listings on Amazon.com or any other Web site are purely speculative and erroneous. .
