The original, uneditedStar Warsmovie is airing for the first time in decades. George Lucas always considered hisStar Warsmovies to be works in progress, and he began changing the first one all the way back in 1981 - when he added the subtitle “Episode IV - A New Hope.” He doubled down on this with the1997 Special Editions, and insisted this was the only version anyone should get the chance to see.
Incredibly, it looks as though history will be made at this year’s BFI Film on Film Festival in the U.K., which takes place at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from June 12 to 15. According to theBFI,this will open with a unique release of the original 1977 edition ofStar Wars, the first time this has been seen in decades. This is the original, unfaded dye transfer IB Technicolor British release print of Star Wars (1977), preserved in the BFI National Archive.
Attendees can also viewrare material from the production, including annotations to the script, the original continuity script, on-set Polaroids, and deleted scenes.
We Never Thought We’d Get The Chance To See The Original Star Wars On The Big Screen
This is a moment noStar Warsfan ever thought they’d see. Lucas always insisted that he had ownership of the movie, and that the Special Editions were in accordance with his wishes; frankly, we weren’t even sure that high-quality copies of the firstStar Warsmovie still existed, because there had been reports they’d degraded. Most of those claims had issued from the U.S., though, andit seems the BFI National Archive contained a copy.
Disney’s Jon Favreau once arguedDisney wouldn’t release the originalStar Wars, arguing there was no real interest in them beyond nostalgia. The BFI, of course, is presenting this for an entirely different reason; because this original movie has a unique place in history, and this festival is about honoring that history. The release is surely a moment of real joy for the fandom.
Our Take On The Original, Unedited Star Wars
The Experience Of A Lifetime
I grew up with the 1981 edition; although I have a poor copy as a bonus feature on my 2006 Special Editions, I never expected that this even earlier version ofStar Warswould ever be seen again. I can only hope Disney realize how excited the fandom really is, how eager we are to experience this masterpiece anew, and choose to release the BFI National Archive Edition ofStar Warson Disney+ for all to see.
