Ever since the late 1990s, the Star Wars universe has been rapidly expanding and evolving into something very different from the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy many older fans grew up with. There’s been updated CGI, new scenes added, and even the addition of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in the 2004 DVD release. Overall, the releases and special editions of the original trilogy better relate to the expanded universe, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
With Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, many older fans have been hoping that the House of Mouse would release the original theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars trilogy that debuted in the 1970s and 80s on their Disney+ streaming service. However, years after its acquisition, the theatrical cuts remain in the vault, as is the wish of George Lucas himself. The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau agrees with the decision, and his argument against releasing the original cuts is right.
Star Wars' Original Trilogy Theatrical Cuts Aren't As Necessary Now
While the Star Wars original trilogy is legendary and defined a generation (and generations to come), the original theatrical releases aren’t needed. In reality, one of the few things that the theatrical cuts provide is nostalgia for the people who grew up seeing the films in the theaters. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the original cuts felt more necessary because of all of the negativity surrounding the Star Wars prequel trilogy and George Lucas tinkering with the older films. For some, the theatrical cuts of the original trilogy were the end all be all, but that’s no longer the case.
It's been almost 20 years since the last release of the original trilogy in 2004 with the addition of Anakin Skywalker’s force ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi, and for many, these versions of the films are all they’ve ever known; seeing the theatrical cut would do nothing to enhance their understanding of the franchise. Now the prequels have grown to be more favorable, which has also decreased the outcry for the release of the theatrical cut of the original Star Wars franchise. For Jon Favreau and The Mandalorian, he’s trying to bridge together fans who grew up with either version of the films.
It's Probably Time To Give Up On The Unaltered Original Star Wars Trilogy
The prequels aren’t the only thing holding Disney back from releasing the theatrical cut of the original Star Wars trilogy. Disney has owned Lucasfilm for over 10 years, and there’s been no mention of releasing the theatrical cuts, nor does Disney seem interested in it. There’s also the issue of the cost of rereleasing the theatrical cuts versus the profit it would make, which is likely not much. They also have to consider Lucas’ vision for the franchise, and that there was a reason he created the special editions. Additionally, having multiple versions of the same films on a streaming service like Disney+ may be complicated and send mixed messages to casual viewers.
When these facts are laid out, it’s easy to see why Disney doesn’t want to release the theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars trilogy. Not only is there little or no money to be made, but it just isn’t worth the headache. While Disney can change its mind, as it stands right now, there’s no reason to release the theatrical cuts. With the 50th anniversary of A New Hope on the horizon, it may be something Disney considers, but for now, don’t expect to see the theatrical cut of the Star Wars original trilogy on Disney+.