Original ‘Star Wars’ Cut to Screen For First Time in Decades

Watching “Star Wars” is quite convenient as it’s easily accessible across various physical formats, and you can rent it digitally or stream it on Disney+. However, this convenience comes with a condition: you’re essentially viewing the version of “Star Wars” that Disney and Lucasfilm have chosen to present.

Only one “Special Edition” print of Star Wars is provided, featuring a movie version enhanced with revised digital effects and extra scenes initially produced by George Lucas during the late 1990s as part of the initial theater re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy prior to the premiere of the Star Wars Prequels. Lucas frequently tweaked the Special Editions, with the latest modification appearing when Greedo unexpectedly exclaimed “Maclunkey!” before being shot by Han Solo in the Mos Eisley Cantina upon the film’s addition to Disney+.

Prior to releasing the Special Editions, Lucas had already made changes to the original theater release of Star Wars. For instance, he added “Episode IV – A New Hope” to the opening text crawl, a change that happened around the time of The Empire Strikes Back (originally, it just said “Star Wars”). As such, finding a legal copy of the 1977 cinema release of Star Wars has been quite challenging.

As a die-hard enthusiast, let me share some exciting news: This year, an original theatrical print of the film will be screened at the BFI, as reported by The Telegraph. Remarkably, this print was meticulously crafted at a Technicolor lab in London itself! What’s more intriguing is that it’s said to be in pristine condition due to a unique preservation process that maintains its vibrant colors over time.

As reported, the screenings were granted approval by Lucasfilm. (A BFI spokesperson informed The Telegraph that “Permission from Lucasfilm and Disney was necessary for us to screen the original cut at the BFI Film on Film Festival.” They also mentioned, “We have a long-standing partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney, and this permission was requested and granted.”)

At present, the showing of this film is limited to just one cinema in England, doubling as a screening. Whether further screenings will follow elsewhere is uncertain. However, I believe that this could be an excellent opportunity for Disney to generate significant revenue by re-releasing Star Wars, especially given its enduring popularity. They have been re-releasing the different films in cinemas; for instance, Revenge of the Sith is due to return to theaters next month. After being absent from circulation for many years, there’s a high level of interest among long-term fans and even casual Star Wars viewers who are eager to watch these versions.

A fresh, widespread rerelease of the original movies today might generate a similar effect as the Special Editions did in 1997 for Star Wars. At first, those edits were not met with controversy; instead, they were enthusiastically welcomed by fans who got to experience Star Wars on the big screen. However, over time, as it became apparent that these were now the only versions of the trilogy available to watch, opinions shifted negatively towards them.

On June 12, the unique first edition of “Star Wars” will be played twice during the inaugural evening of the BFI’s Film on Film Festival. For further details, visit the BFI’s official website.

20 Actors You Forgot Were in Star Wars

Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn, renowned for his tough characters in James Cameron’s movies like “The Terminator” and “Aliens”, stepped into the Star Wars universe as a recurring character in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian”. He portrayed Lang, a rough-around-the-edges mercenary who provides muscle for Morgan Elsbeth. During the series, his character interacts with, and eventually meets a tragic end at the hands of (spoiler warning) the Mandalorian. Such is life for guest stars on TV shows.

Jack Black (and Lizzo!)

As a devoted Star Wars enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the unexpected appearances in the series, and none were more surprising than those in Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian on Plazir-15. To my amazement, Jack Black and Lizzo, two figures I never expected to see in this galaxy far, far away, turned out to be the rulers of this peculiar planet. Some might argue it was an unusual choice for casting, but they certainly embodied their roles as quirky space monarchs with panache.

Rose Byrne

Prior to her lead roles in “Insidious” and “Bridesmaids”, Rose Byrne, who was not yet famous, appeared as one of Senator Amidala’s unnamed handmaidens in a scene from “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”. She certainly looks delighted to be there.

Jodie Comer

In the quick glimpse of Rey’s challenging past in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” viewers may have recognized Jodie Comer, known for her role in “Killing Eve.” Interestingly, Rey’s father, Dathan, is linked to Emperor Palpatine as his quasi-son; Miramir, played by Comer, married him despite the fact that he was the heir to the most destructive evil the galaxy has ever faced. It seems she has a knack for choosing difficult partners.

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is recognized in the Star Wars universe not only for creating The Mandalorian series and voicing one of its characters, Pre Vizsla, but also for his role as Rio, an alien crew member of Tobias Beckett, which he voiced a year before The Mandalorian premiered. Despite Rio’s unfortunate fate, Favreau has since flourished, now writing and directing the upcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Many well-known actors have also made appearances in the animated Star Wars series, which might not be common knowledge among those who only watch live-action. For instance, Sarah Michelle Gellar, famously known as Buffy, lent her voice to the antagonist Seventh Sister during the second season of Star Wars Rebels. In total, she featured in six episodes and delivered a convincing performance, particularly as an Inquisitor – give her clips a listen if you haven’t already!

Keira Knightley

To avoid giving away a 25-year-old movie’s plot twist for you, let me tell you that in “The Phantom Menace,” Queen Amidala frequently masks her real identity using handmaidens who closely resemble her. Characters like the Jedi and young Anakin Skywalker spend significant time with one of these handmaidens named Padmé, unaware that she is actually Queen Amidala. As Amidala assumes the role of Padmé, another handmaiden steps in to impersonate the queen – this handmaiden being a younger version of Keira Knightley, who would later become famous for her role in “Pirates of the Caribbean.” At that age, it’s hard not to notice the similarities between the two women.

John Leguizamo

You might not have recognized actor and comedian John Leguizamo in the second season episode of “The Mandalorian” titled “The Marshal.” Since he played an alien character named Gor Koresh, who sported a combover, potbelly, green skin, and only one eye, Leguizamo wasn’t immediately identifiable in this role. He mixed it up as the scoundrel who got into trouble with Mando over his beskar armor.

Christopher Lloyd

Wow, wouldn’t you recognize Christopher Lloyd from his appearance in “The Mandalorian” Season 3 Episode 6, titled “Guns For Hire”? He portrayed Commissioner Helgait, the security chief on Plazir-15, a planet governed by none other than Lizzo and Jack Black. In this episode, Mando and his team uncovered Helgait’s scheme and managed to bring peace back to the planet. What an exciting week it was for “The Mandalorian” viewers!

Tim Meadows

In the third season of “The Mandalorian”, the episodes certainly became quite eccentric. In the episode titled “The Pirate”, we were graced by the presence of Tim Meadows, a veteran from “Saturday Night Live”, portraying Colonel Tuttle. He was a representative of the New Republic, expressing doubts about X-wing pilot Carson Teva’s theories that the Empire might be planning a resurgence following the events in “Return of the Jedi”. Frankly, it seems preposterous! Surely, there’s no chance Palpatine could ever return, isn’t it? Or is there?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast, I’d like to share an interesting tidbit about Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius behind “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.” Before gracing our screens with those masterpieces, he lent his creative touch to the Star Wars universe by penning a song for Maz Kanata’s cantina in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” In return, he was granted an exclusive cameo appearance in “The Rise of Skywalker.” During the joyous Resistance celebration after the climactic battle, if you look closely, you can spot him in the scene where Rose Tico embraces Chewbacca.

Simon Pegg

In case you haven’t seen additional footage, it might not be apparent that the junk dealer who barters food rations with Rey, Unkar Plutt, is portrayed by Simon Pegg, famously known for “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”. Pegg even proposed an extra scene for Plutt, which was filmed but later removed. In this scene, Plutt confronts Rey about stealing the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca then intervenes — tearing off nearly a quarter of his body!! (Unkar’s arm)

Stephen Root

In episode 3 of “The Book of Boba Fett,” a character named Lortha Peel made an appearance. He’s a water-vendor in Mos Espa who sought Boba’s assistance due to a gang stealing his supplies. Instead of eliminating the gang, Boba gave them jobs and then held Peel accountable for his high prices. This role was played by Stephen Root, a popular actor recognized from shows like “NewsRadio” and movies such as “Dodgeball,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” and “Office Space.” If Peel had offered Boba Fett his iconic red stapler in tribute, perhaps he would have agreed to get rid of the troublesome gangsters.

George Takei

George Takei is deeply connected to the Star Trek universe, having portrayed Lieutenant (later Captain) Sulu across numerous episodes and all six original films from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. While there’s usually little interaction between Star Trek and Star Wars, Takei lends his unique voice to an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he plays General Lok Durd, an alien character. Wow, isn’t that something!

Sophie Thatcher

In the popular series “The Book of Boba Fett,” Stephen Root aimed to eliminate a particular group of gangsters. Interestingly, one of these thugs is portrayed by Sophie Thatcher, who gained recognition for her roles in “Yellowjackets” and recent horror films such as “Heretic” and “Companion.” It would have added an extra layer of excitement if she had been cast as Black Krrsantan or a character similar to him.

Justin Theroux

In “The Last Jedi”, the Resistance eventually allies with a cunning codebreaker portrayed by Benicio del Toro. However, their initial target is a man sporting a stylish white suit and a stripe reminiscent of a skunk in his hair, who was played by Justin Theroux from “The Leftovers”. Unfortunately, Rose and Finn fail to recruit this character for their cause before they were apprehended; the character remains nameless in the film. On Wookiepedia, Theroux’s character is simply referred to as “Master Codebreaker”, and it was reported that he was cast just a day prior to filming.

Danny Trejo

In the latest episode of “The Book of Boba Fett”, starring Stephen Root and Sophie Thatcher, Boba Fett emerges victorious against a pair of Hutt twins. As a token of their gratitude, the Hutts bestow upon him a rancor, skillfully managed by Danny Trejo, a veteran actor known for his tough guy roles in films like “Heat”, “xXx”, and numerous Robert Rodriguez productions such as “Desperado”, “Grindhouse”, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, “Spy Kids” and “Machete”. Can you guess who directed this episode of “Boba Fett”? Correct, it was Robert Rodriguez.

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver has been featured in shows like “Lost” and “Sons of Anarchy”, but he is most recognized as the lead actor in the detective series “Bosch” and its spin-off “Bosch: Legacy”. In the popular Star Wars franchise, his role appeared in the third season of “The Mandalorian”, specifically on the episode titled “The Heiress”. For the sake of imagination, let’s call his character Captain B’Osch. This character was an Imperial Captain who collaborated with the villainous Moff Gideon in the series.

Dominic West

Before you recognized him as Detective Jimmy McNulty from “The Wire”, Dominic West made a minor appearance in “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” under the character name Jerus Jannick. In this film, he was one of the guards at Amidala’s palace and can be seen clearly during the initial moments of the scene where Anakin visits Padmé. Surprisingly, that was Dominic West! During a brief moment, he is stopped from entering her quarters by a uniformed guard standing outside her door.

2025-04-17 21:53