UPDATE 8/7: StarWars.com has verified the new releases and the release date of October 8, adding that DVD-only versions will be available internationally. Our original post is below.
Yakface and SWAN have spotted Amazon listings for another rerelease of the two Star Wars trilogies (Prequel, Original) as Blu-ray/DVD combo packs. They have a list price of $59.99 and an October 8th release date – just a week before The Clone Wars S5 and complete series box sets. (via)
The first Blu-ray sets, in addition to a complete saga box set, came out in fall 2011. They did not include DVD versions. All three (Saga, PT, OT) appear to be still available, though Amazon is running deeper-than-usual discounts on the trilogy sets.
Is it too much to hope for original versions of the OT, in full HD instead of the letterbox laserdisc edition we had previously (on DVD)?
I wouldn’t count on it with this release. Maybe eventually, though, now that Lucas isn’t calling the shots.
If it does happen anytime “soon,” it’ll be done by 20th Century Fox. They retain the distribution rights for Empire, Jedi, Menace, Clones, and Revenge until 2020, and hold the distribution rights for A New Hope in perpetuity.
Yeah, was talking about that on Twitter earlier. I honestly didn’t expect Disney/LFL and Fox to agree to another re-release so soon after the last one… But I guess there’s still some demand for DVDs, or else why not just keep reprinting the Blu-rays? (Which is probably exactly what this is going to end up to be – same versions as the original Blu-rays, just with new packaging and DVDs.)
But the original cuts not being restored – and being rereleased only in a lesser, limited fashion – has always been presented as a Lucas decision, not Fox’s. So I assume both parties would have to agree at the very least. But who knows? That said, I wouldn’t put it past GL to have had it written in contracts somewhere that only the SE/DVD/Blu-Ray versions can go ‘forward.’
But yes, to elaborate, I don’t see Disney/LFL releasing the original versions until they’ve officially regained the rights to ESB and ROTJ.
I have a hard time imagining George Lucas did not retain final cut on his films.
It’s a long shot at best. We’ll see, I suppose, but it’s certainly not something I’d lose sleep over.
Any ideas on just how different the commentaries will be from the first Blu Ray set?
I think if they were new commentaries, StarWars.com would have said so. So I expect they’re the same ones as last time.
It pretty much looks like the only thing new here are DVD copies (sans commentary) and the cover art.
“I think if they were new commentaries, StarWars.com would have said so. ”
That goes double for them releasing the original cuts of the OT. There’s no way they’re going to sneak that out without huge fanfare.
Rule of thumb: if there’s no mention of the version, it’s very safe to assume it’s the latest Special Edition.
I haven’t got the original Blu Ray version. I will probably buy this version. I hope they have more features. Or maybe they will have more edits? I just want to be able to watch the new Blu Ray version. But I will get this new combo pack.