HBO gets pay cable rights to STAR WARS: Episode II (1 Viewer)

[Jo_C]

OK, folk,

This ought to make you, myself, and others very happy. "Star Wars: Episode II" will play on pay-cable after all.

It has been announced that HBO has acquired the exclusive pay-cable rights to the latest "Star Wars" prequel yesterday for $15 million, so there is perhaps some worth in the prequel after all.

The deal also covers exclusive windows on the previous four "Star Wars" films, and a first crack at the pay-cable rights to "Episode III".

It seems that Lucasfilm first went to the pay cable networks themselves, but was unable to get any response, so they turned to their partner Fox who went to HBO (who currently has an output deal with Fox), and that's how the pay cable rights were secured.

Remember, the Fox network paid even more ($80 million, to be precise) to get the TV rights for "Episode I" (and that includes the bypass of pay TV), but with the broadcast networks gnawing a bit on the broadcast rights to theatrical films, there may be some hope in pay cable after all with The Force.

 

[Adam_ME]

Hopefully if/when it's shown on HBO's HD channel, they don't crop it down to a 1.78:1 aspect ratio like they do with nearly every other WS flick they broadcast.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Oh they'll crop it.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Doesn't affect me one way or another. I'm very happy with my DVD copy

 

[Jason Adams]

It wouldn't be cropped wouldn't it? Because it was filmed IN HD, and in a 1:78:1 ratio anyway.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

AOTC's in a 2:35 Aspect ratio

 

[Tony-B]

HBO will crop it, for sure. That is a given. Saying they won't crop it is like saying Wal-Mart is going to stop selling only censored CDs and they will only carry widescreen DVDs.

 

[Thomas H G]

From what I'm reading, they'll be getting the Clone Wars animated series also.

 

[Tim Glover]

This is cool news though.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I'm sure this will make a lot of people happy, however there's really nothing in this news that excites me. I don't care how great this film will look in HD, and i'm sure it'll be DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, I will not allow the beauty of HD to cloud my priorities, P&S in HD may be pretty, but it's still P&S, sure, 1.78:1 is not as extreme as 1.33:1, but it's P&S nontheless. Now if it was Showtime HD, that's a different story, at least the film would then have a fighting shot at being in it's full 2.35:1 ratio.

No thanks, i'll stick with my dvd that looks great on my 48" HD in progressive scan.

As a sidenote, I will never figure out for the life of me exactly who HD HBO thinks its catering to by cropping their stuff!? Do you know any Joe and Jane's who own an HD set? I don't. Only HT lovers have them right now and most prefer OAR.