Star Wars fans across the galaxy will experience the excitement and adventure of the Star Wars Trilogy as never before on Sept. 12, thanks to the premiere of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy; a new lineup of toys; and an event they’ve been asking to see for years: the DVD debuts of the original versions of the three movies that introduced audiences to the Star Wars saga.
In response to overwhelming demand from Star Wars fans, Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will unveil attractively priced individual two-disc DVD sets of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Making these DVDs truly special is the inclusion, as special bonus material, of the original versions of the movies as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983, respectively.
Paired with the spectacular digitally restored and re-mastered movies, these versions will be available on DVD for a very limited time beginning Sept. 12 (international release dates will follow on or about the same day). On Dec. 31, the original movies will be returned to the Lucasfilm Archives. Also included on each two-disc DVD set is commentary by George Lucas and key cast and crew members.
“Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original versions that they remember experiencing in theaters,� said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President of Lucasfilm. “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. Topping it off with a new interactive adventure makes Sept. 12 a red-letter day for Star Wars fans.�
