Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[RickWJ324]

I truly think that Disney will give the fans what we want soon...now that the stubborn "Great and Powerful Lucas" has given up the reigns. We will see a remastered edition of the original unaltered trilogy on blu.

For the longest time I've hated on Lucas for being such an @$$ to his fans when it comes to these films, but I do have faith in Disney.

In the meantime, I have a blu-ray of the 35mm SW:ANH release and it's great! It currently is my "go to" when I want a Star Wars fix. For ESB and ROTJ there are the "despecialized" versions out there which is much better than the official blu's. I bought the boxed set when it was released, but I have yet to watch the prequels on blu-ray and only watched the original trilogy once on blu. George's changes to those films just makes me sad when I watch those films that have meant so much to me since I first saw them in the theater starting in '77.

If Disney releases these it will be a day one purchase for me... if not then I'm content with my 35mm and Despecialized versions.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I've seen other people say that, but maybe I'm stoopid or something because what else could it mean?

It could have just been marketing hype. I mean, late night TV is littered with 'limited time offers' that have been running for years.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by octagon

It could have just been marketing hype. I mean, late night TV is littered with 'limited time offers' that have been running for years.

Yeah I guess, but this wasn't some random "not available in stores!" CD boxset promo hosted by some z-grade presenter. When it comes to movies the studios tend to make good on their threats, e.g. Disney and their practice of "vaulting" their crown jewels every few years. And, just in case the pedantic police wade in, I'm not saying that's the EXACT same situation, I'm just using that as an example of studio clout in action.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yeah I guess, but this wasn't some random "not available in stores!" CD boxset promo hosted by some z-grade presenter.

I might have to go with tomahto on this one

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by RickWJ324

I truly think that Disney will give the fans what we want soon...now that the stubborn "Great and Powerful Lucas" has given up the reigns. We will see a remastered edition of the original unaltered trilogy on blu.

For the longest time I've hated on Lucas for being such an @$$ to his fans when it comes to these films, but I do have faith in Disney.

In the meantime, I have a blu-ray of the 35mm SW:ANH release and it's great! It currently is my "go to" when I want a Star Wars fix. For ESB and ROTJ there are the "despecialized" versions out there which is much better than the official blu's. I bought the boxed set when it was released, but I have yet to watch the prequels on blu-ray and only watched the original trilogy once on blu. George's changes to those films just makes me sad when I watch those films that have meant so much to me since I first saw them in the theater starting in '77.

If Disney releases these it will be a day one purchase for me... if not then I'm content with my 35mm and Despecialized versions.

If that does happen, wouldn't it not be until 2020. That's when 20th Century Fox loses the home video rights(except for ANH).

[shinobipopcorn]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I was reading about DVD in PC magazines at that time, sure, but I never assumed that the SW marketing was just referring to the current formats (especially because no-one had a clue that DVD would blow up like it did).

Who knew so much could be read into that statement?

I was 9 when the special edition came out (and the subsequent trilogy VHS release with it), and freaked out when DVD became popular because we were too poor to afford a player. I remember worrying that they wouldn't release all the prequels on tape, but my mother said I was worrying for nothing. Guess who turned out to be right.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

If that does happen, wouldn't it not be until 2020. That's when 20th Century Fox loses the home video rights(except for ANH).

That doesn't matter at all. If Disney want to release them then Fox will do so.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

That doesn't matter at all. If Disney want to release them then Fox will do so.

Well it could matter. Maybe Disney is specifically holding back a new release of the films until they no longer have to give Fox a cut for doing the distribution (aside from the original unless they make a deal to buy the distribution rights outright for it). That would bum me out though if the UOT finally came out but was missing the opening Fox fanfare.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

That would bum me out though if the UOT finally came out but was missing the opening Fox fanfare.

I'm a big proponent of preserving original studio logos in general and this is pretty much the poster child for that position. Every logo is part of the movie but this is really part of the movie. Hell, it's part of the franchise.

It even seemed a little weird not seeing/hearing it at the opening of TFA.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

Well it could matter. Maybe Disney is specifically holding back a new release of the films until they no longer have to give Fox a cut for doing the distribution (aside from the original unless they make a deal to buy the distribution rights outright for it). That would bum me out though if the UOT finally came out but was missing the opening Fox fanfare.

But LFL have been giving Fox a cut for the last 40 years, 5 of which have fallen under Disney's tenure - including the freshly repackaged DVDs and Blu-rays that were released thru Fox in late 2015, a fact that seems to pass everybody by, even though it's staring them in the face.

If Disney didn't want Fox to get anything from their existing deal with LFL then we wouldn't have those editions in late 2015...but because LFL wanted them re-released to cash in on TFA's theatrical release then Fox obliged them. The potential release of the 4K restored originals this year really is no different: LFL controls the content, Fox oversees the distribution.

When May 2020 comes and goes then things WILL get a bit more complicated owing to Fox's perpetual ownership of the distribution of ANH, e.g. a complete box set would need either Disney buying ANH out completely OR licensing the title from Fox. But even if an agreement can't be reached there, LFL can still command Fox to release the film separately on whatever format and Disney would release the rest.

[shinobipopcorn]

Fox and Disney might even use their rights issues with the Marvel properties as a bargaining chip when it gets to that point, who knows.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

When May 2020 comes and goes then things WILL get a bit more complicated owing to Fox's perpetual ownership of the distribution of ANH, e.g. a complete box set would need either Disney buying ANH out completely OR licensing the title from Fox. But even if an agreement can't be reached there, LFL can still command Fox to release the film separately on whatever format and Disney would release the rest.

Or they could just dig under two couch cushions and buy Fox.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

Well it could matter. Maybe Disney is specifically holding back a new release of the films until they no longer have to give Fox a cut for doing the distribution (aside from the original unless they make a deal to buy the distribution rights outright for it). That would bum me out though if the UOT finally came out but was missing the opening Fox fanfare.

Sure, they might wait to limit revenue sharing. I took his post more as saying they have to wait to release it in general though. In any case, I think it will come when it comes and no one has to worry about Star Wars not being on disc.

[Class316]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

I was 9 when the special edition came out (and the subsequent trilogy VHS release with it), and freaked out when DVD became popular because we were too poor to afford a player. I remember worrying that they wouldn't release all the prequels on tape, but my mother said I was worrying for nothing. Guess who turned out to be right.

Actually she was right. ROTS was in fact released on tape. Just not in the US.

[BluProofie]

I wonder if Disney even would release the UOT.

[shinobipopcorn]

Originally Posted by Class316

Actually she was right. ROTS was in fact released on tape. Just not in the US.

How was I going to know that, though? If we couldn't afford a $100 DVD player, do you think we had internet or the means to import a VHS? By that time we had saved up and got a PS2, though, so we were good.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

Fox and Disney might even use their rights issues with the Marvel properties as a bargaining chip when it gets to that point, who knows.

Good point, there's plenty of horse-trading that could be done to get the rights parlayed into a boxset. And, as Ernest points out, Disney are heavily into this Avatar theme park in Florida that's due to open next year, even though they've got nothing to do with the actual films - ergo Fox are letting Disney make money off of their licensed product, while the opposite is happening with SW distribution as Disney are letting Fox make money off of their licensed product.

It makes for juicier copy to think of these studios always being at loggerheads - the bitter spat between Marvel and Fox springs to mind - but they collaborate on deeper levels more often than people realise.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But LFL have been giving Fox a cut for the last 40 years, 5 of which have fallen under Disney's tenure - including the freshly repackaged DVDs and Blu-rays that were released thru Fox in late 2015, a fact that seems to pass everybody by, even though it's staring them in the face.

If Disney didn't want Fox to get anything from their existing deal with LFL then we wouldn't have those editions in late 2015...but because LFL wanted them re-released to cash in on TFA's theatrical release then Fox obliged them. The potential release of the 4K restored originals this year really is no different: LFL controls the content, Fox oversees the distribution.

When May 2020 comes and goes then things WILL get a bit more complicated owing to Fox's perpetual ownership of the distribution of ANH, e.g. a complete box set would need either Disney buying ANH out completely OR licensing the title from Fox. But even if an agreement can't be reached there, LFL can still command Fox to release the film separately on whatever format and Disney would release the rest.

Well I'm not surprised that they reissued the 2012 Blu-Rays (plus went for the digital market) with Fox, as you said, they would want to have the release out for the return of Star Wars. But aside from some new packaging, it essentially was a quick, no-effort re-release of something they basically inherited with the buyout.

I'm not saying they wouldn't work with Fox, but with 2020 just a few years from now, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they're waiting out the end of the distribution deal to roll out their fancy new 4K remastered sets.

[Geoff D]

Yeah, I mean I don't think we're going to get newly done Blu-rays (or UHDs, heaven forbid) any time soon regardless, but for a potential theatrical re-release of the remastered OT then there's zero obstacles to getting that done.

[Hardback247]

I don't think it's very fair to constantly criticize Anakin and Padmé's romance, when there are arguably much worse examples, like the ones in Twilight, Fifty Shades, and Old Fashioned. I think they make Attack of the Clones look like Casablanca.