The Disney era ofStar Warsbegan nearly ten years ago. Back in 2012,Disney acquired LucasFilmfor a ridiculously large sum of money. They wasted no time making adjustments to the franchise. Disney rebooted theStar Warscanon, relegating all of the “Extended Universe” material (mostly novelizations and comic books) toStar Wars"Legacy." While fans met that particular move with mixed reception, much of Disney’s new Extended Universe material has offered exciting looks at new stories in theStar Warsgalaxy.
Disney’s next big move, theStar Warssequel trilogy, wasn’t as well-received. The studio’s first major film,The Force Awakens, worked well as a by-the-numbersStar Warsstory. Its follow-up,The Last Jedi, split theStar Warsfandom down the middle. Some people think it’s thebest movie sinceThe Empire Strikes Back, while others argue that it single-handedly ruined theStar Warsfranchise. The trilogy’s finale,The Rise of Skywalker, is better left forgotten.
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During their journey through the sequel trilogy, Disney also took a stab at two spin-off films. Neither of the movies performed as well as Disney had hoped.Rogue Onewas an entertaining if unnecessary entry in the franchise.Solo, theHan Solo backstory film no one wanted, was dead on arrival.
It hasn’t all been bad news for Disney. They’ve also overseen one of the most popular, and most exciting, additions to theStar Warsfranchise in decades. The Disney Plus showThe Mandalorianhas managed to introduce new plots and characters intoStar Warswhile still capturing everything that made the original trilogy a series of instant classics. Their newest show,The Bad Batch, could continue the trend andcorrect the franchise’s current trajectory.
Disney should keep working on greatStar Warsshows. That said, if Disney wants to earn some good will withStar Warsfans beforelaunching their next trilogy, there’s an easy path forward for them. It’s time for fans to get the remastered edition ofStar Warsthey truly deserve.
Editing Chaos
When the originalStar Warstrilogy came to Disney Plus, fans really had just one question: which version are we getting? The movies haven’t been the same since they left theaters – literally.
It seems just about every release ofStar Warscame with its own list of changes. George Lucas is known for being intensely dedicated to his own artistic vision. Unfortunately, his vision doesn’t tend to be very consistent. Each timeStar Warscame as a new edition, Lucas made tweaks. Sometimes, he didn’t even wait that long. Lucasadjusted the ending toEmpirewhile it was screening for the public.
Often Lucas’s edits to his vision were minor but perplexing. Was anyone really asking for CGI aliens to be inserted intoA New Hope? Other changes have caused uproar among fans. The1997 Special Edition ofStar Warscontains the most egregious alteration. Lucas changed the confrontation between Han Solo and Greedo, and fans have been arguing whether or notHan shot firstever since.
The prequels didn’t escape Lucas’s editing tendencies. Adjustments were made from the theatrical release to the DVD editions, and more changes came with the Blu-Ray release of the films. Taken altogether, there are at least half a dozen different versions of each of theStar Warsfilms that came out while Lucas oversaw the franchise. At the moment, there really isn’t any such thing as an “official edition” for either trilogy.
Fan Favorites
EveryStar Warsfan has their favorite edition, or at least their favorite way to watch the films. The Holy Grail ofStar Warsis a version of the films that has all the benefits of modern visual remastering with none of the uncomfortable changes from the theatrical version of the films. Deep down, fans just want to experience the same magic they felt watchingStar Warsin theaters the very first time.
No official remaster ofStar Warscomes close to achieving perfection. Some fans have taken matters into their own hands. The"Despecialized Edition" ofStar Warsis a fan-made project that attempts to recreate the theatrical experience forStar Warsfans. The project was put together by massiveStar Warsfan Petr Harmáček (usually referred to as “Harmy”). Harmy’s Despecialized Edition is the unofficial gold standard ofStar Wars, and it should be the blueprint for all future endeavors to remaster the films.
The time for a new remaster of both the prequels and the original trilogy is now. Fans have been crying out for a quality remaster, like the one Harmy provided, for years.Disney has caught a lot of hatefrom various parts of the fan base for the way they’ve handled the Extended Universe, the sequels, and the spin-offs. Of course, the only way to truly correct the franchise is to move forward with new, high-quality content. That said, an official remaster would be an easy way to get a huge boost of good will fromStar Warsfans everywhere. At the very least, the Disney Plus version ofA New Hopeshould show Han shooting first.
