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

As a die-hard movie fan, I can’t help but appreciate the accessibility of Star Wars. Whether you prefer physical copies or digital streaming, it’s available across multiple platforms. You can rent it digitally, stream it on Disney+, or even own a copy in various formats. However, it’s important to note that this is the version of Star Wars that Disney and Lucasfilm have curated for us.

Only one “Special Edition” print of Star Wars is provided, featuring a revised version of the movie with enhanced digital effects and extra scenes initially produced by George Lucas during the re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy in theaters before the release of the Star Wars Prequels. Lucas made numerous adjustments to the Special Editions over time; the latest modification became noticeable when Han Solo shot Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina on Disney+, and for unknown reasons, Greedo suddenly exclaimed “Maclunkey!” before being killed by Han Solo.

Prior to Lucas’s creation of the Special Editions, he had already made changes to the initial cinema release of Star Wars. For instance, he added “Episode IV – A New Hope” to the opening text scroll, which was later adopted around the time of The Empire Strikes Back; originally, just “Star Wars” appeared at the beginning. As a result, finding the 1977 theater version of Star Wars, legally, has been quite challenging.

Up until now, but as reported by The Telegraph, an original theatrical version of the film will be screened at the BFI in just a few months. This print was developed in London at a Technicolor lab, and it’s said to be in excellent condition due to a unique process that prevents its colors from fading with time.

Based on their statement, these screenings were granted approval by Lucasfilm. (A BFI representative informed The Telegraph that “Permission from Lucasfilm and Disney was necessary for us to show the original cut at the BFI Film on Film Festival.” They further explained, “We have a long-standing partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney, and the required permission was sought and granted.”)

Currently, the screening of this print is only happening twice at a single venue in England. Whether it will lead to more screenings elsewhere is uncertain. However, this could potentially be a significant opportunity for Disney to earn substantial profits by re-releasing Star Wars, given the high level of curiosity among long-time fans and even casual viewers of Star Wars who are eager to see these versions after many decades out of circulation.

A broad reissue of the original films today might resonate with Star Wars much like the Special Editions did in 1997. Initially, these modifications were not met with controversy; instead, they were welcomed enthusiastically by fans who got to experience Star Wars on the big screen. However, over time, as it became apparent that these were now the sole versions available for viewing, opinions turned against them.

On June 12, the unique initial edition of “Star Wars” will be shown twice during the opening night of the BFI’s Film on Film Festival. To find out more details, visit the BFI’s official website.

20 Actors You Forgot Were in Star Wars

Michael Biehn

In the realm of science fiction, Michael Biehn is recognized for his tough characters in James Cameron’s films “The Terminator” and “Aliens”. He stepped into the Star Wars universe as a guest star in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian”, portraying Lang, a mercenary with a rough demeanor. He collaborated with Morgan Elsbeth in this role, but unfortunately, his character met a tragic end at the hands of the Mandalorian – such is often the case for temporary TV characters.

Jack Black (and Lizzo!)

In one of the most unexpected appearances in the entire Star Wars saga, Chapter 22 of “The Mandalorian” featured an unusual cameo when Mando and his team landed on Plazir-15, a planet governed by none other than Jack Black and Lizzo. While some might call it unconventional casting, these two certainly fit the bill as slightly quirky space rulers.

Rose Byrne

Prior to her prominent 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 enthusiastic to be on set.

Jodie Comer

In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, you may have recognized Jodie Comer from Killing Eve as Rey’s mother in a fleeting flashback. Her character, Miriam, chose to marry Dathan, who was Emperor Palpatine’s quasi-son, despite his status as the heir to one of the galaxy’s most notorious evils. It seems she has a knack for selecting challenging partners!

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is recognized in the Star Wars universe not only as the creator of The Mandalorian and the voice actor behind Pre Vizsla, but also for his role as Rio, an alien crew member under Tobias Beckett. This was a role he took up a year before The Mandalorian debuted. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for Rio, but they certainly have for Favreau, who is now working on the script and direction of the movie The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Several well-known actors have made appearances in the animated version of Star Wars as well. Those who only watch the live-action series might not be aware that 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, Gellar was featured in six episodes and did an impressive job voicing the character, particularly as the Inquisitor. (You should definitely listen to some clips of her performance.)

Keira Knightley

In this 25-year-old movie, “The Phantom Menace”, the storyline is centered on Queen Amidala maintaining her identity secretly with the help of handmaidens who resemble her. The Jedi and young Anakin Skywalker frequently interact with one of these handmaidens named Padmé, unaware that Padmé is actually Queen Amidala in disguise. (She’s a ruler with a common touch, if you catch my drift.) Meanwhile, another handmaiden poses as the queen, and this handmaiden was portrayed by a young Keira Knightley before her “Pirates of the Caribbean” days. It’s fascinating to note that at that age, Padmé and the impersonating handmaiden share a striking resemblance.

John Leguizamo

In case you didn’t recognize John Leguizamo in “The Marshal” episode of The Mandalorian’s second season, it’s understandable. As the alien character Gor Koresh, he sported a combover, potbelly, green skin, and just one eyeball, which made him quite different from his usual self in the role of a scoundrel who had a run-in with Mando over his beskar armor.

Christopher Lloyd

Wow, wouldn’t you recognize Christopher Lloyd from his role 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 Lizzo and Jack Black. In this episode, Mando and his team unveiled Helgait’s scheme, ultimately bringing peace back to the planet. What an exciting week that was for “The Mandalorian” fans!

Tim Meadows

In the third season of “The Mandalorian”, the show certainly took a turn for the extraordinary. In the episode titled “The Pirate”, we were introduced to Tim Meadows, a well-known comedian from “Saturday Night Live”, portraying Colonel Tuttle, a New Republic member who questions the doubts of X-wing pilot Carson Teva about the Empire potentially reemerging following the events in “Return of the Jedi”. Frankly, it’s preposterous to think that Palpatine could ever resurface, isn’t it? Or is it?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “In the Heights” and “Hamilton”, initially lent his talent to the Star Wars universe by penning a song for Maz Kanata’s cantina in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. In return for this work, he was granted a small role in “The Rise of Skywalker”. During the Resistance celebration following the final battle, you can see him in the scene where Rose Tico embraces Chewbacca.

Simon Pegg

If you don’t take a peek at the behind-the-scenes content, you might not catch that Unkar Plutt, the character who swaps food rations with Rey, was portrayed by Simon Pegg, famous for “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”. In addition to his performance, Pegg also proposed an additional scene for Plutt. This scene, filmed but later cut, showed Plutt confronting Rey about stealing the Millennium Falcon. During this altercation, Chewbacca intervenes and removes a full quarter of Plutt’s body! Quite a hefty price to pay for a stolen spaceship, don’t you think?

Stephen Root

In episode 3 of “The Book of Boba Fett,” titled “The Streets of Mos Espa,” Boba Fett crossed paths with a water vendor named Lortha Peel. This character requested Fett’s assistance in dealing with a group stealing his supplies. Instead of eliminating the gang, Fett offered them jobs and then pinned the high prices on Peel. The actor who portrayed this character is Stephen Root, famously known for his roles in “NewsRadio,” “Dodgeball,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, and “Office Space.” If Peel had given Boba Fett his famous red stapler as a token of respect, perhaps he would have agreed to eliminate the troublesome gang.

George Takei

George Takei, best known for his role as Lieutenant (and later Captain) Sulu in multiple episodes of ‘Star Trek’ and all six original cast films, is one of the most linked individuals to the Star Trek universe. Though Star Trek and Star Wars usually have no connection, you can recognize Takei’s unique voice in an episode of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ where he played an alien general named Lok Durd. Incredible, isn’t it?

Sophie Thatcher

In the TV series “The Book of Boba Fett”, the gangsters that Stephen Root aimed to eliminate – one of them is portrayed by Sophie Thatcher, who’s famous for her roles in “Yellowjackets” and recent horror films such as “Heretic” and “Companion”. It would have added more excitement if she had played a character like Black Krrsantan or another intriguing role instead.

Justin Theroux

In the movie “The Last Jedi”, the Resistance ultimately collaborates with a two-faced codebreaker, portrayed by Benicio del Toro. However, their initial target is a man sporting a stylish white suit and a stripe resembling a skunk’s mark in his hair, played by Justin Theroux from “The Leftovers”. Unfortunately, Rose and Finn are apprehended before they could enlist this character for their mission. The speed of the arrest is such that the character remains nameless throughout the film. On Wookiepedia, he is merely referred to as “Master Codebreaker”, with the trivia stating that Theroux was cast in the role only a day prior to shooting.

Danny Trejo

The episode of “The Book of Boba Fett” starring Stephen Root and Sophie Thatcher ends with Boba Fett triumphing over a pair of Hutt twins. As a gesture of goodwill, the twins present him with a rancor, which is subsequently handled by Danny Trejo, a renowned tough-actor known for movies like “Heat”, “xXx”, and numerous Robert Rodriguez films including “Desperado”, “Grindhouse”, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, “Spy Kids” and “Machete”. Can you tell who directed this episode of “Boba Fett”? Correct! It was Robert Rodriguez.

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver has appeared in popular shows like “Lost” and “Sons of Anarchy”, but he is most renowned for his lead roles in the detective series “Bosch” and its spin-off “Bosch: Legacy”. In addition, his character graced the third season of “The Mandalorian” on the episode titled “The Heiress”, although unnamed, he played an Imperial Captain who was allied with the antagonist Moff Gideon. (For our imagination’s sake, let’s call him Captain B’Osch.)

Dominic West

Before you recognized him as Detective Jimmy McNulty from “The Wire”, Dominic West made a cameo appearance in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” as a minor character named Jerus Jannick. In the film, he was one of the guards at Amidala’s palace, and he can be spotted particularly during the initial moments of the scene where Anakin visits Padmé. Interestingly, that guard who tried to stop Anakin from entering her room is none other than Dominic West, or as you may know him, McNutty!

2025-04-16 16:24