Guess it's time for another Star Wars on DVD rumor thread
 

Found this in the Star Wars discussion in Movies over at the HTF.


here's the link

Would make sense from a marketing standpoint. Get some more buzz going for Ep 3.

Also, the fact that they were able to "squeeze out" the Indy trilogy while both Lucas and Spielberg have all kinds of projects going may mean they could have done something for Star Wars. Hopefully they took my suggestion to heart and are releasing the original versions with a handful of extras, then doing the SEs in the monster set in 3 years.

What do you think?

But they did NOTHING for those Indy DVDs. Nothing at all like on the two Star Wars DVDs we've gotten so far.

I don't want the original and SEs seperate. Give us seemless branching...

Doubtful. I don't know why, as I don't really have a counterpoint, but I just don't see seamless branching happening.

I'll tell you why I don't see it happening, too many DVD players bug out on it, plus the fact that there are a lot of little changes between the originals and the SEs. It would be far easier from an authoring standpoint to just do them separately.

As for doing nothing on the Indy DVDs, if you follow that link, just above the SW bit is a bit on Indy 4, where it is mentioned that a lot is planned for the eventual DVD. Sounds like this upcoming release is just a taste of things to come and they will be double dipping them. They could be doing the same for SW. There are a lot of extras already out there for the OT. It would be very easy to create a SW set similar to the upcoming Indy set.

Lucas has already stated that the OT ain't gonna happen.

He's said a lot of things. I don't believe him anymore till it happens.

The Star Wars movies deserve much better treatment than what the Indiana Jones movies are getting. For that matter, so do the Indiana Jones movies. I can't see Lucas releasing Episode I, II, and most likely III as incredibly rich special editions while relegating the classics (even if they are the SEs) to a 1998 level release.

If they're going to release the OT before Episode III, I see them releasing them individually throughout 2004 (May, August, November). They'll most likely be further enhanced versions of the SEs with features that would be comparable with the first three movies. This would be an excellent way to build excitement for the "last star wars movie ever". They're not going to dump all three movies out at once when Episode III comes out on DVD in fall 2005, and waiting till 2006 would be a mistake.

I would love to see a complete box set of the original versions, with original making of specials from the 70's, but I somehow don't see that as coming anytime soon. I think this will come much later, after franchise dies down again.

with Episode III, Indy and other duties around the ranch, I doubt we will see the Originals till after episode III is complete.

Sweet...

George Lucas is ultimately going to give you what he wants you to have, not what you would like to have.
If he puts it out, they will buy it.

All I know is, I'm gonna be 75 years old before I'll be able to get the original trilogy, and by then, I won't even remember why I wanted it.

Seamless branching wouldn't really be good for the OT since not only were new scenes added but almost all of the space footage with ships has been altered to remove matte box's, strings and other things so at least a an extra 45 minutes of original footage would have to be on the disc in addition to the 2 hour long SE version and that would compromise video quality.

Here's what would be best:

DISC 1:
Theatrical version (2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen)
DD 5.1 (original mix)

Perhaps have Lowry Digital Images do digital restoration at 2K...the dirty opticals, matte boxes, and any print damage isn't supposed to be there. The editorial aspect of the film is unchanged, however. Down to the omission of the "A New Hope" subtitle.

DISC 2:
Definitive version (2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen)
DD 5.1 (new mix)

This would be the version Lucas has tweaked.

The other disc or two (I honestly think two discs would be fine since there is so much on the films) would house extras. Perhaps commentaries for the films would happen such as the original version having a commentary with the surviving cast, another commentary with the visual effects supervisors, and then one with George Lucas.

The definitive edition would have a George Lucas and Rick McCallum commentary.

I'm doubtful, but I could see the Original Trilogy out next year. Maybe they'll make fans happy and release the original versions. A four disc set similar to Indy. The three films on the first three discs and a bonus disc with minimal extras, probably just the old "making of" documentaries and trailers. Lucas could even make it a Limited Edition and pull them from the market after a few months. It'd make sense. Episode III isn't out yet so it wouldn't really ruin the point of a seamless story. And by the end, Lucas would make cash, fans would get the original versions, and they'd be off shelves before you know it. It'd be like a farewell party for the original versions.

Then Lucas can put out a huge 7 or 8 disc edition for the 30th Anniversary with all the tweaks he wants with a buttload of extras.

Please check page 2 paragraph 3 in your DVDTalk manual. Star Wars release rumors are banned and your in danger of having started a Lucas bashing thread. Please refrain from any commentary on SW except for reviews. Thank You ;)

How about this plan?

Release the original trilogy, in its original form, as a three-disc set. No special features, unless it's just stuff they already have lying around the office like old documentaries. Release it in the best video possible (as it is unclear just how many original elements are available, I would settle for the LD transfers at this point) as soon as possible.

Do that, and then release the original trilogy as revamped special editions, in packages that match the prequel trilogy packages.

Since Lucas is so concerned about the original trilogy meshing with the prequel trilogy or whatever, this is a move that should satisfy both camps: The OT three-disc set could easily stand on its own as its own trilogy, while the revamped OT would then mesh better with the prequels.

He also told McCallum to tell everyone no OT character cameos in Ep3. I really hope we get the OT. Even if it's not next year.

The original version is not avaible in 5.1. Only the special edition has 5.1 the original version is in DD2.0


The films were restored and those prints were used to make the SE so trying to locate decent looking prints is not an issue.

As for the Indy trilogy I believe Lucas and Speilberg were all set to do some nice Ultimate Editions, sold individually, maybe 1 a year. Paramount wanted the box set instead, so that is what we are getting.

I just want the mega six film set with the SEs. :)

On some older players it sucks, I guess... but no big deal.

Seemless branching is pretty amazing. It's not called seemless for nothing. If they didn't bother with retroing the minor changes they made like the black matte lines, there would still be PLENTY of room. Would it be easy? maybe not.... but it's not impossible. There are minor changes throughout, but most are minor and last a couple seconds.

He's also said maybe. Don't "fans" consider Lucas a liar anyways ;)

Hate to rain on the parade, but I posted this same info elsewhere and was quickly reminded that Fox, not UNIVERSAL, owns the distribution rights to SW. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to get the OT on DVD next year. I would kill for it. I am afraid though that when we finally do get it, it will be some Ultra -Super-Duper - CGI'd "No This Really Was My Original Vision" version of the trilogy. Oh well. Give me the real original trilogy and I will be ALL OVER IT!!!

[Eternal Optimism]Hey, you never know. Good 'ol George may give the fans what we want.... It could happen.[/ETERNAL OPTIMISM]

what ever made you think Universal had any distribution rights to SW?

Because, the link referenced in the original post says the information was posted on a website run by Universal. Here is the text:

Zack

Even if you leave in the FX 'cleanup' (removing matte lines, etc.), how do you handle things like all of the dialog changes in ESB? There are a ton of 1-2 second changes throughout that film. If you leave them alone, you are essentially creating a THIRD version of that movie, one that isn't quite the original, but isn't quite the SE. That doesn't solve anything, in my opinion.

I think we'll see another cleanup of the original trilogy.
Lucas caters to a young audience with Star Wars, even more so with the prequels, and my thought is that he'll be retooling the first three films to feel more like the prequels for their next release.
And he will rerelease them. There is simply no reason not to. There is a new generation of young people that are simply not impressed with the visuals in the first three Star Wars movies (mine told me that those are 'old' movies) anymore, as the bar has been raised through the roof, and Lucas has the ability to go as far as placing Hammil, Ford Fischer and gang into entirely new sets digitally if he wants to. Young people will have no issues with it. To them, it would be like seeing the newest tech showcase, and would fall into line as the latest in the Star Wars storyline.
Personally, I'd have no problems with it...it'd be pretty neat, actually, but the purists would howl like banshees at the thought.

I do think that someone on this thread had a great solution for everyone....clean up the originals, and release a two-disc set of each of 4,5 and 6 with the theatrical version on the first disc and the SE rerelease on the second disc.

Voila! SW purists and the GP are happy little Star Wars fans!

Well, that would be where the seamless branching would come in, wouldn't it? :)

Also, weren't there new sound effects recorded for the SE's? Because of those and the music cues not matching up, there would probably have to be two different Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks (one for each version of the films) taking up space in the bitstream with the video, and more for different languages, commentaries and mixes such as a 2-channel English Dolby Surround mix, or-dare we dream-DTS.

Partly true. Partly false.

35mm general release prints were Dolby Stereo (which would technically be 2.0 surround for DVD), but there was also a 6-track magnetic mix made for 70mm prints. That would translate into 5.0, but 5.1 would probably be just as fine.



Seamless branching is a nice idea, but it really wouldn't serve a purpose for the first film. Plus, we don't know the extent of the changes being made for the definitive editions. They might be doing stuff like new color timing.

Not necessarily. No one knows. There were MANY different sound mixes for the initial movie (dunno about the sequels). They all had different due dates so the more time Ben had to work on a particular mix, the better it sounded. There have been different combinations of effects and at this point...who the hell knows (or cares) what the "original" was. It's never been JUST the original. There's always been differences.

I got a great idea for a movie, about some kids who kidnaps George Lucas and makes him release the starwars dvds in the original form. I could really see Kevin Smith directing a movie like this and staring Jason Mewes.

For one word of dialog (about a dozen times throughout the film)? Maybe Lucas could pull it off, but I've never seen seamless branching EVER used so robustly on a DVD. Never.

And I honestly wouldn't trust them to do it correctly if they tried. That is, I'm sure they would 'accidentally' miss a few of the dialog changes or CGI effects when pulling together the 'original' version. Better to just have it on its own disc and prevent any chance of a problem.

But, this is all academic at this point. No one knows what they are going to do. (However, my bet would be on a new edition -- with even *more* changes than we saw in the SE, along with the originals on a separate disc.)

agree with bboisvert, they would screw it up. I mean with empire the movie just drags along at the end and that was my favorite movie of all time. like we didn't get how vador got to his ship. I alwasy wondered... NOT hehehe

They did something along the line on an episode of South Park. The gang confronted Lucas and Spielberg about a new version of Raiders they were putting out with new digital effects. It was hilarious.

I wouldn't mind seeing a movie where a gang of movie aficionados break into the Disney Vaults though.

right right right, I remember that. but it wasn't starwars it was raiders. ya that was fun. and with spielbergs ET, now in the new edtion they all have walky-talkys rather then guns...

I forgot about that, too funny a episode. But i could see them really doing a movie about lucas, you know sorta like Lucas in love. little short film. would be great.

When are you going to get it through your head that the OT will not be released on DVD or any other format, ever. Only the SE's will. I'm all for the SE's and thought they were a huge improvement over the originals (minus the greedo shooting first). As for 2004, we can only hope but it so doesn't matter anyway. LOTR is by far better.

doc

DING DING DING! We have a winner. :rolleyes:

I didn't know that. Interesting.

Since there are so many mixes, could I please request the SW mix where the laser rifles don't sound like .44 magnums?

Although I would like to see the OT on disc, I have a feeling that the current SE discs are going to be the closest to the OT that we're going to get.

Lucas isn't done with his tweaking of the OT... by the time that it is "officially" released on DVD, it will be even further removed from the originals... and THEN there will be much gnashing of teeth...and eventual purchase (as they wonder why they didn't buy the 5-Star discs.).

(hint: imagine an artificially aged Ewan McGregor superimposed over Sir Alec Guiness' Obi Wan... don't be too quick to scoff at the notion... like it or not, something along those lines will happen.)