If the rumors that have been floating around the internet for years turn out to be true, we'll see the OT with even more scenes added in. The problems with the last OT release will be corrected, we'll get OT deleted scenes and The Phantom Menace with new CG Yoda. If that pans out I'll be ready to buy the Star Wars saga, one. last. time.
Count me as one of you who believe we will not see the original trilogy on dvd again.
From what little I've seen online and in magazines, that book looks like it's going to be really great. Like MielR, I'll be going for the hardcover one too.
We know for a fact that The Phantom Menace will see the inclusion of the "Episode II Digital Yoda" (check out the Revenge of the Sith DVD for clips), and presumably a brand new transfer, but I highly doubt that the other films will receive the same.
Their current ones are still practically fresh off the telecine, and those digital prints of Clones and Sith will be pristine for years to come.
Hmmm... a Star Wars re-release... Would that be the 2004 version? The 1977 version? Or a 2007 version that we haven't seen yet? (I think it's safe to say the 1997 version is retired, and a good thing too; that CGI of Jabba was plain silly). Whatever version it is, I'd go.
As for the 30th anniversary DVDs, I hope the deleted scenes from the original trilogy are included. There are the Biggs Darklighter scenes (which were on a Star Wars CD-Rom some 10 years ago, and are very cool) and desert sandstorm scenes from Jedi -- some of which might need modern-day completion (like deleted scenes were finished for the DVD releases of the prequels). Not suggesting these be re-inserted in the films, but having them on DVD would be nice.
I'm pretty sure it will be all six movies. From a purely marketing standpoint, it only makes sense to release a giant saga box set rather than just one film.
Plus a "Complete Saga" set hasn't been released yet, so they capitalize on ad campaign with something like "All 6 films in one box, for the first time ever!".
This year Hasbro is finally making an action figure of Biggs Darklighter in his academy uniform from the ANH cut scenes, which has prompted some to speculate that it could be Hasbro's little tie-in with an inclusion of those cut scenes on the new 30th anniversary DVD set (presumably as extras and not put back into the film). I'd say its a good bet this new special edition will have several remastered cut scenes from the OT included. I seem to recall an interview during the 2004 DVD release where someone at LFL was asked why that DVD set wasn't going to have any OT deleted scenes, and they stated that they wanted to polish them up and make them look good rather than just releasing rough footage without sound/special FX, and there just wasn't enough time to prepare them for the DVD set with the crews being so busy finishing work on ROTS. The intention was to release a simpler DVD set with a few extras in 2004, and then go back and do a really big "Archival Version" for the 30th anniversary once they had the time to create a lot more extras for it. Hopefully they don't disappoint us with OT extras this time. I've wanted to see the ROTJ sandstorm scene for years.
Never say never but that Biggs toy is coming out months and months before the OT DVDs would be released so it wouldn't really tie in very well.
And I pray that they don't put the Biggs scenes back in the movie. The Jabba scene and the Biggs and Luke reunion before the Death Star battle are relatively quick but the Biggs scenes are long, somewhat boring and slow the beginning of the movie down. That being said, I'd give a body part to see them included as an extra.
They're also making an "Animated Debut" figure of Boba Fett that is based on his appearance in the Holiday Special so I wouldn't read too much into anything at this point. It's all just meant to sell a bunch of different 30th Anniversary merchandise and these upcoming figures probably won't have any tie-in to DVD releases.
One mouth-watering extra they could include (if this were to be a true archive set) would be the animated segment from the Holiday Special. That segment was praised from the show's debut in 1978 as the best thing about it. It would be a very cool extra indeed, as would the OT deleted scenes (they'd have to be finished, of course, like the PT deleted scenes).
I will also repeat what I have said time and again: I think a true archival set should include the documentaries that were aired in 1977, 1980 and 1983. I'm referring to The Making of Star Wars, SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back, and The Making of a Saga. All of these were released on video in the past, but never on DVD.
If they are going do this, then they gotta give us the lot; The Biggs scenes, the sand storm scenes, the Boba Fett cartoon. The original making ofs... 30th Anniversary is something special. The powers that be at LFL should have a look at the Superman set - that's how to do a box set.
I hate to say it but if we haven't heards anything about it this far into the year then nothing worthwhile is coming.
I am of course praying on the inside as I write this that I am as wrong as wrong can be. Hear that LFL? MAKE ME WRONG!
However even though I am sure there will be some kind of 30th anniverssary re-release no way will it be a boxset of Superman Ultimate Edition proportions. Man I wish it would be but we would have heard something by now.
And all indications are that Lucasfilm has been working (off-and-on, of course) on this release since 1998. (The year after the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars.)
Expect the announcement for this truly spectacular set in May for an October release.