'Star Wars' 4K Blu-Ray Box Set Might Be In The Works At Disney
A new rumor has surfaced suggesting Disney is working on a Star Wars 4K Blu-ray box set of the entire Skywalker Saga. The three prequel films, the three original Star Wars films to hit theaters, and the latest trilogy, will all be packaged together in one giant box set. The rumor states that the set will feature 4K scans of the original negatives, which suggests we might be getting the original versions of the original trilogy, not just the special editions with the additional special effects. Fingers crossed.
The Digital Fix has a story up in which they quote a Disney source's claim about a Star Wars Skywalker Saga 4K Blu-ray box set. However, it comes with the following disclaimer:
The following story is based upon a conversation we've had with a Disney employee under the condition of anonymity. Nothing official has been announced and as such everything below should be treated as rumour.
With that in mind, you probably shouldn't get too excited about this yet. But it certainly sounds like a possibility. Per their source, "4K masters of the original trilogy and of The Force Awakens are all in the can and work is currently being done on the prequel trilogy which is proving to actually be more of a challenge than the original films. The Last Jedi, along with Solo (which is not expected to be included in this overall set) already have 4K Blu-ray releases."
The entire original trilogy is all allegedly being put together using "the original negatives", which may indicate we're finally getting a Blu-ray release of the original theatrical cuts. I myself have been holding out on buying the original Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray simply because the only copies available are the special editions, in which George Lucas went back and added a bunch of distracting modern special effects into nearly every frame. I'm much more interested in owning the original films, with their original special effects. If that's what this turns out to be, I'll happily buy the box set (and never, ever watch the prequel films).
Disney is also said to be combing through "all of the Fox and LucasFilm archives" in order to compile as much material possible, including special features that have never been shown anywhere. The hope is to turn this box set into the "ultimate" Star Wars collection.
Again, until we get a confirmation from Disney, this is all speculation. The Digital Fix says the plan is to have the box set ready by 2020, which means if this is true, we'll likely get a confirmation sooner rather than later. The Star Wars Celebration kicks off today, and runs through the weekend, so we might even find out in the next few days.