Original 'Star Wars' Trilogy Headed to DVD... But Not High-Def
Posted Thu May 4, 2006 at 10:56 AM PDT by
In response to overwhelming fan demand, Lucasfilm announced today it will release
the original 'Star Wars' trilogy on standard DVD for a limited time beginning
this September; no high-def DVD versions are currently planned.
"Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they
would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing
in theaters," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President
of Lucasfilm Ltd, via the
StarWars.com
official site. "We returned to the Lucasfilm Archives to search exhaustively
for source material that could be presented on DVD. This is something that we're
very excited to be able to give to fans in response to their continuing enthusiasm
for Star Wars."
Lucasfilm and Fox Home Entertainment will release "attractively priced,
individual two-disc releases" on September 12, 2006, of 'Star Wars,' 'The
Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi.' Each release includes the 2004
digitally remastered special edition version of the movie, as well as the original
theatrical edition of the film. Each release will be available for a very limited
time only, scheduled to be taken off the market beginning December 31, 2006.
Given the commitment of George Lucas and Lucasfilm to digital technology and
high-definition exhibition in theaters, many fans had been hoping for an announcement
of the 'Star Wars' films on one or both of the next-gen DVD formats. It would have undoubtedly proven to be a pivotal show of
support for high-definition DVD, as well as a milestone release for
the next-gen formats.
However, a Lucasfilm spokesperson confirmed today to High Def Digest that the
upcoming original 'Star Wars' trilogy re-release will be standard definition
only, and the company has "no current plans" to release the films
on high-def DVD. Though today's announcement "does not rule out" a
future release of the films on the next-gen formats, the spokesperson said.
Needless to say, we'll keep you posted on any future disturbances in The Force...