Disney just bought LucasFilm! - Will Disney release the Original Versions of Star Wars? (1 Viewer)

[Moe Dickstein]

Or Disney could give Fox the X-Men rights to get Star Wars distribution back - that would make more sense as Fox owns the completed X-Men films already but only holds certain Star Wars rights. That sort of deal would give each studio unencumbered rights on particular properties they would value.
I'm sure in time we'll see what deal they want to make.

 

[TravisR]

Lucas assigned Disney all rights to the existing film, except distribution. If he attempted to limit Disney's exercise of those rights by contract, the assignment wouldn't effective. In theory, Disney should be able work with Fox to release whatever they want. On the other hand, if Disney wants Lucas to cooperate as a consultant on future films, it may be in their best interest to keep him happy. Lucas can always ask Disney not to release the OOT in consideration for his services as a consultant.

I'm sure there's a way that they could word a legal document that gave Disney everything except the original versions or more specifically, Disney owns the originals but essentially can't do anything with them. Buying something that you can't release seems pointless but it would be more than compensated for by now having access to every other Star Wars product that they can sell. Once again, I could be wrong but assuming that Disney can now release the originals seems like a big leap to me.

 

[Kyle_D]

I'm sure there's a way that they could word a legal document that gave Disney everything except the original versions or more specifically, Disney owns the originals but essentially can't do anything with them. Buying something that you can't release seems pointless but it would be more than compensated for by now having access to every other Star Wars product that they can sell. Once again, I could be wrong but assuming that Disney can now release the originals seems like a big leap to me.

He could certainly have limited Disney's use of the OOT contractually, but only after he assigned the rights. It's impossible to say what power he will continue to have over the films without looking at the acquisition documents. We know that the $4.05 million was half stock, half cash. My rough guess is that the deal was structured so that Lucas assigned/sold his IP as an asset for cash, and subsequently sold his Lucasfilm shares to Disney for Disney stock; this structure likely would have had certain tax advantages. Depending on the structure of the acquisition, the stock swap could have been supported by additional consideration that prohibits Disney from releasing the OT without his approval, but I doubt it. Lucas also could make such a prohibition part of his contract to serve as a consultant on the forthcoming films, as I indicated earlier. That might be more plausible.
Mind that this is all spitballing. The bottom line is that we just don't know, and you're right that a few leaps need to be made before it can be asserted that nothing prevents Disney and Fox from releasing the original versions. My gut feeling, however, is that if Disney sees sufficient market value in restoring and releasing the original versions of the films, we'll see them.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

It's also possible that Lucas is sick of this all and doesn't give a shit what Disney does.

 

[Jason_V]

Originally Posted by Moe Dickstein /t/324824/disney-just-bought-lucasfilm-will-disney-release-the-original-versions-of-star-wars/30#post_3996093
It's also possible that Lucas is sick of this all and doesn't give a shit what Disney does.

A small part of me thinks all the flack he's gotten over the PT's and the OOT had to play some part in this. How long can one man, no matter how rich, get the crap heaped on him by fanboys who are unrelenting? Those fanboys tend to get new generations added to their ranks and it's poor George against all of them. Maybe he wants other people to carry the burden with him.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Read the interviews with him from when he announced he was retiring and turning things over to Kathleen Kennedy, that is clearly his state of mind.
And as someone that always advocated his right to do whatever he wanted with his films, I can understand that. I really get peeved by the idea that people who are fans of something think they have any sort of creative ownership over it. Only the creators have that.

 

[SilverWook]

I'm hard pressed to think of any other "creator" that has done quite what Lucas has done to most of his old films since 1997. Not to mention doing it three times to the OT now.
What I really want to know is, who owns THX-1138 when the dust has settled?

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by SilverWook /t/324824/disney-just-bought-lucasfilm-will-disney-release-the-original-versions-of-star-wars/30#post_3996129
I'm hard pressed to think of any other "creator" that has done quite what Lucas has done to most of his old films since 1997. Not to mention doing it three times to the OT now.

Charles Chaplin, Michael Mann, Volker Schlöndorff, Universal with the 1925 Phantom of the Opera upon its 1929 re-release, etc. It's more common than people like to admit.

 

[SilverWook]

Were any of those done twenty years on? Could the old versions be publicly screened?

 

[Malcolm Bmoor]

Now that, after a seemingly very short interlude, Star Wars obsession had returned to HTF, it's possibly timely to remind any who don't know it of a story involving Sir Alec Guiness.
It's of course well known that his perticipation was something of a favour to young no hopers and he was amazed not only at the film's success but the considerable, never need to work again, sums of money it brought him. But,compared to his career as a whole he found the attention disproportionate and took no part in the frenzy that followed.
One day, he was stopped by a lady with her small boy and told that the boy was a great great fan and had seen Star Wars 250 times.
'Can I ask him a favour?' said Sir Alec.
'Of course', replied the lady. IMAGINE - Obi-Wan is asking HER son a favour !!!!!
'Please promise me that you'll never see it again'

 

[Greg_D_R]

No matter who owns the rights, I have faith that the Original Trilogy will see a blu ray release, simply because the profit potential is too big to be resisted. People who are in the business of selling things will want to release the best selling blu ray of all time.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Were any of those done twenty years on? Could the old versions be publicly screened?

The answers are "yes" and "not without difficulty".

 

[cafink]

What Michael Mann films have been altered in a way that's comparable to the Star Wars trilogy?

 

[Yorkshire]

Just looking at this from a different angle, as everyone's thinking what does Lucas want.
Well, what does Disney want?
They've paid £4 billion. Their sequels may be crap. Even if they're an astonishing success, and they make $500 million from each of the three, they haven't got their money back. I just don't see tham investing £4 billion unless they think they're going to make a lot of money from the old films. And, irrespective of the rights and wrongs, no matter what Lucas' reasons for his revisions were, I don't think Disney have the same emotional involvement in sticking with the changes.
In short, if they think they can make a few bob from re-releasing the original cuts on Blu-ray Disc, they will. If they thought this would be a money-spinner, they'd have ensured they negotiated the right to do that, if it were at all possible.
And, let's face it, the revised versions are out already, and I would imagine that over half the people who will ever buy the new versions on Blu-ray Disc have bought them already.
Steve W

 

[Brianruns10]

Man how effin' lame is it gonna be to see the next Star Wars film open not with a Fox logo, but with that goddamn Disneyland Castle and shooting star...not to mention how 'effin lame the next Star Wars will be, period.

 

[Brianruns10]

Just looking at this from a different angle, as everyone's thinking what does Lucas want.
Well, what does Disney want?
They've paid £4 billion. Their sequels may be crap. Even if they're an astonishing success, and they make $500 million from each of the three, they haven't got their money back. I just don't see tham investing £4 billion unless they think they're going to make a lot of money from the old films. And, irrespective of the rights and wrongs, no matter what Lucas' reasons for his revisions were, I don't think Disney have the same emotional involvement in sticking with the changes.
In short, if they think they can make a few bob from re-releasing the original cuts on Blu-ray Disc, they will. If they thought this would be a money-spinner, they'd have ensured they negotiated the right to do that, if it were at all possible.
And, let's face it, the revised versions are out already, and I would imagine that over half the people who will ever buy the new versions on Blu-ray Disc have bought them already.
Steve W

I think you've nailed it. Why would Disney pay that much only to have their hands tied by not being able to do something with the original theatrical versions? That's what everyone wants, those are the crown jewels. Those are the only things that retain any of the aura which Lucas has so thoroughly tarnished with his tinkering, and the diminishing returns of the sequels.
I personally believe the chances have never been better of a blu-ray release of the original cuts. Because Disney is a money driven, corporate behemoth, evil and calculating as any big bank or petrol company. And the release of the theatrical cuts would be a surefire money maker, it would be the blu-ray release of the year, easily. It would have a huge, built in, free of charge marketing campaign, as every blogger, critic and entertainment rag will cover it's release. Disney would've been nuts to get into any deal with Lucas, for such a huge amount, without having some kind of say so over the originals.
Honestly, if I had that much money to spend, and Lucas offered his company to me, I would've said, "I want the originals, or it's a dealbreaker." And I'm no businessman.
So I think this deal could show a lot of promise...

 

[YanMan]

I think you've nailed it. Why would Disney pay that much only to have their hands tied by not being able to do something with the original theatrical versions? That's what everyone wants, those are the crown jewels. Those are the only things that retain any of the aura which Lucas has so thoroughly tarnished with his tinkering, and the diminishing returns of the sequels.
I personally believe the chances have never been better of a blu-ray release of the original cuts. Because Disney is a money driven, corporate behemoth, evil and calculating as any big bank or petrol company. And the release of the theatrical cuts would be a surefire money maker, it would be the blu-ray release of the year, easily. It would have a huge, built in, free of charge marketing campaign, as every blogger, critic and entertainment rag will cover it's release. Disney would've been nuts to get into any deal with Lucas, for such a huge amount, without having some kind of say so over the originals.
Honestly, if I had that much money to spend, and Lucas offered his company to me, I would've said, "I want the originals, or it's a dealbreaker." And I'm no businessman.
So I think this deal could show a lot of promise...

You guys are also missing the potential for whole new theme park at DisneyWorld.
I'll bet they break ground on construction sooner than we think.

 

[Jason_V]

Originally Posted by Yorkshire /t/324824/disney-just-bought-lucasfilm-will-disney-release-the-original-versions-of-star-wars/30#post_3996213
Just looking at this from a different angle, as everyone's thinking what does Lucas want.
Well, what does Disney want?
They've paid £4 billion. Their sequels may be crap. Even if they're an astonishing success, and they make $500 million from each of the three, they haven't got their money back. I just don't see tham investing £4 billion unless they think they're going to make a lot of money from the old films. And, irrespective of the rights and wrongs, no matter what Lucas' reasons for his revisions were, I don't think Disney have the same emotional involvement in sticking with the changes.
In short, if they think they can make a few bob from re-releasing the original cuts on Blu-ray Disc, they will. If they thought this would be a money-spinner, they'd have ensured they negotiated the right to do that, if it were at all possible.
And, let's face it, the revised versions are out already, and I would imagine that over half the people who will ever buy the new versions on Blu-ray Disc have bought them already.
Steve W

I factored in another $40-ish million for the remaining five films in 3D. That adds another $200 million or so to the total, assuming all five go 3D and all five do the same business as Episode I. Frankly, I expect Episode II and III to do in the neighborhood of $40 each...then that total skyrockets for Episodes IV and V.

I know $200 million is a drop in the bucket for this deal, but still.

 

[TravisR]

Selling the movies on video again and again would obviously be a moneymaker but the toys is where the real money is with Star Wars. The last I heard, they make somewhere in the neighborhood of about $500 million every year on toys and that's in a year without a movie to boost sales. In the years with a movie, it's far more than half a billion in toy sales.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by cafink /t/324824/disney-just-bought-lucasfilm-will-disney-release-the-original-versions-of-star-wars/30#post_3996205
What Michael Mann films have been altered in a way that's comparable to the Star Wars trilogy?

He's altered The Last of the Mohicans. Twice.