This is some excellent news for the “Han shot first” crowd. The unique reduce of Star Wars (1977), the movie recognized in the present day as A New Hope, is coming again to theaters. We first realized in August that some model of the movie could be screened once more in 2027 for its fiftieth anniversary. However we all know now this may certainly be the model everybody noticed earlier than George Lucas made these questionable, CGI-heavy modifications within the 1997 Particular Editions. The re-release arrives in theaters on February 19, 2027.
In a brief replace posted Friday on the official Star Wars web site, Lucasfilm all however clarified that this would be the authentic reduce. It described it as “a newly restored model of the traditional Star Wars (1977) theatrical launch.” Gizmodo reported that it obtained additional clarification that this may certainly be the OG one, earlier than these “enhancements” within the Particular Version (and subsequent re-releases).
Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in a scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. (Disney Plus)
These mid-’90s edits included early CGI results that basically served as a testing floor earlier than Lucas moved on to the Prequel Trilogy. It additionally added a CG Jabba the Hutt / Han Solo scene (initially shot with actor Thomas Declan Mulholland as Jabba) that was reduce from the unique model.
Maybe most infamously, Lucas made Greedo shoot first at Han within the canteen scene. Hardcore followers hated the change. It smoothed among the tough edges of Han’s begin. It gave him a shorter, much less dramatic journey into the reluctant hero he grew into because the story progressed. It is as if Lucas was signaling, “Okay, Han might have began as sort of a jerk, however he would not shoot a bounty hunter in chilly blood! Consider the youngsters watching!”
However in my opinion, Return of the Jedi had the worst modifications in 1997 and later. Though I did not thoughts the brand new celebration music and site montage on the finish (others disagree), it additionally added that cringey and out-of-place musical quantity in Jabba’s palace. However I despised the change Lucas made for the movie’s 2011 Blu-ray launch: Darth Vader’s overly telegraphed “Nooooooo…” as he makes the climactic determination to chuck the Emperor into the Loss of life Star’s reactor shaft. C’mon, George: It’s so extra highly effective for the viewers to mission Vader’s thought course of onto his silent helmet. But when Disney sticks with the fiftieth Anniversary scheme, we’ll have to attend till 2033 to see the untainted model of that film in theaters once more.