I've looked everywhere I can think of. I've seen people saying they've heard from people at Lucasfilm or various distributors one way and the other, I was pointed to a thread on here wondering if Disney :rolleyes is gonna release un-Special Editioned versions of the Original Trilogy... but I have not found a straight answer anywhere, so I put it plinly here.
Does anyone actually know for sure, one way or another, whether the first six films will see even a limited re-release prior to the new one's opening next December?
I've seen it said that striking new prints would be more expensive than the returns they'd get, which I think is bunk. There are a lot of prints already made that are only as old as 1997. I know Lucasfilm has all six in digital format -- it's how they showed them at Celebration IV on their own equipment they trucked down to LA from San Rafael. So every theater that can show digital films can order a 4K Blu-Ray from LFL.
So...
No -- that's not it.
I know there are potential sticking points vis-a-vis Disney and Fox, and Fox still holds distribution rights if Lucasfilm wants to put Star Wars back in theaters in even a limited release. I know it's a different story if an individual theater approaches Fox wanting a print for a special event or some such. I, for one, am still hopeful Fox will actually see the dollars involved in being attached to this money train and not only agree to a re-release, but also offer to handle distribution for the new films. That way, we'd still have the fanfare.
My theory of what we can look forward to is that we'll get a second, longer teaser during the Super Bowl, then the first trailer and maybe an announcement or two on May The Fourth. I'd place a modest bet that that's when any re-release would be announced, but I'm not going to wait to start poking around. :lol
--Jonah
Does anyone actually know for sure, one way or another, whether the first six films will see even a limited re-release prior to the new one's opening next December?
I've seen it said that striking new prints would be more expensive than the returns they'd get, which I think is bunk. There are a lot of prints already made that are only as old as 1997. I know Lucasfilm has all six in digital format -- it's how they showed them at Celebration IV on their own equipment they trucked down to LA from San Rafael. So every theater that can show digital films can order a 4K Blu-Ray from LFL.
So...
No -- that's not it.
I know there are potential sticking points vis-a-vis Disney and Fox, and Fox still holds distribution rights if Lucasfilm wants to put Star Wars back in theaters in even a limited release. I know it's a different story if an individual theater approaches Fox wanting a print for a special event or some such. I, for one, am still hopeful Fox will actually see the dollars involved in being attached to this money train and not only agree to a re-release, but also offer to handle distribution for the new films. That way, we'd still have the fanfare.
My theory of what we can look forward to is that we'll get a second, longer teaser during the Super Bowl, then the first trailer and maybe an announcement or two on May The Fourth. I'd place a modest bet that that's when any re-release would be announced, but I'm not going to wait to start poking around. :lol
--Jonah
