'Just give us what we want, Disney': the original Star Wars trilogy is coming to Blu-ray again but not in the way fans want

Date:
Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:56:33 +0000

Description:
'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...' was the last time we got the theatrical cut of Star Wars at home could that be changing?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Amazingly, next year is the 50th anniversary of Star Wars , as the original movie ( A New Hope ) was first released in theaters on May 25, 1977. While it has become an entertainment juggernaut, spawning movies, TV shows, video games, toys heck, just about everything the original trilogy remains the most popular and nostalgic part of this legendary franchise.

Star Wars is a big part of my life, as Im not only a fan but I also
regularly use scenes from across the Star Wars universe to test the best TVs and best soundbars . The throne room lightsaber fight in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a feast for the eyes, while the Death Star attack run in Star Wars A New Hope is a wonderful audio test, especially with Dolby Atmos. For physical media collectors, myself included, Star Wars (and all its movies and TV
shows) have been released in just about every format you can think of, from VHS to 4K Blu-ray and beyond: and theres a new release (or re-release) on the horizon. Outlets such as Gizmodo and Comic Book Resources have noted that an advert on Amazon US suggests the infamous Special Edition versions of the original trilogy (first released in 1997) are coming to Blu-ray in April
2026. You may like People love the unexpected Disney on the Lego Star Wars Smart Play launch The Mandalorian and Grogu: release date, trailer, cast, plot, and everything else we know about the new Star Wars movie New teaser
for The Mandalorian and Grogu draws negative reactions from Star Wars fans

The Special Editions were George Lucas true vision and featured new scenes
and CGI implementations, most notably the Jabba The Hutt and Han Solo scene
in Mos Eisley (which was cut from the original 1977 version). To say these changes were divisive is an understatement. People mainly took issue with the random, distracting CGI creatures shoe-horned into scenes. With this new release (re-release) of the Special Editions coming to Blu-ray, it has once again shone a light on what fans really want: the original cut on 4K. Just give us what we want, Disney Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - Trailer - YouTube Watch On As both a Star Wars and 4K Blu-ray fan, I, like many of my nerd family, have been clamoring for a 4K Blu-ray release of the theatrical cut of the original Star Wars trilogy. No CGI, no extra scenes, no screwed-around-with edits: the original cut. (And ideally Id like it with upscaled textures, some lovely Dolby Vision HDR and a full-fat Dolby Atmos soundtrack, thanks.)

The original trilogy, along with the rest of the Skywalker Saga, is already available on 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming. While these do look and sound
great, with the Dolby Vision and Atmos flavors I asked for above, these are again edited from the original cut and contain all the padding most Star Wars fans dont want. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign
up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For any non- Star Wars fans reading and wondering why the original trilogys cuts havent been released, you can (allegedly) thank George Lucas.
Reportedly, as part of the sale terms to Disney in 2012, the original, theatrical cut for Star Wars was never to be released on home media: only Lucas edited version. As Lucas himself said in 2024: Sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it, but I want it to be the way I want
it to be. Damnit, George.

Its gotten to the stage where fans are so rabid for the original cut that
some have made what is referred to as despecialized editions of the original trilogy, most famous of which is Harmys Despecialized Edition from 2011, in which the picture and audio improvements have stayed but all the CGI edits have been removed. The issue is, these editions are very rare and expensive. Anyone wanting the original trilogy on Blu-ray or 4K has to stick with the various cuts from the Special Editions onward. Or so we thought. A New Hope (literally) I'll be smiling like Luke if we get the theatrical cut in 4K at home (Image credit: Disney / Lucasfilm / Future) In June 2025, a ballot of
BFI members went to a screening of the original cut of Star Wars: A New Hope, remastered and restored. And its now been confirmed on Star Wars official website that the original movie, in its theatrical cut glory, will be getting a run in theaters in 2027, first releasing February 19, to celebrate 50 years of the original. Huzzah! What to read next Disney reveals new action-packed trailer for Star Wars movie The Mandalorian & Grogu Jon Favreau says The Mandalorian & Grogu had to up our game for theaters Heirs to the Empire: can Star Wars' new bosses save the struggling sci-fi franchise?

While this isnt the news of a physical media release I was hoping for, its a step in the right direction. We thought the original cut would never see the light of day again, but here it is even if it is a limited run. But thats
not the only news.

At the tail end of 2025, several screenshots and video clips of Star Wars being remastered in 4K were leaked onto Imgur (as youd expect, these are now long gone). This sent places like Reddit into a frenzy, with fans in this thread from r/blurayboutique hoping this was the news of a 4K home release
wed been waiting for.

Cut to 2026 and these could have been leaks from the announced 50th Anniversary theatrical run, but what if they werent? What if it was from a planned 4K Blu-ray release? What if Disney has finally decided to say, 'screw George Lucas, let's give Star Wars fans what theyve been after?'

Were all looking to new President of Star Wars Dave Feloni, a confessed Star Wars fan whos worked on projects such as the excellent Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon, for answers on a 4K Blu-ray theatrical cut release. Help us
Dave Feloni: youre our only hope. The best 4K Blu-ray players for all budgets Our top picks, based on real world testing

Read our full guide to the best 4k Blu-ray players 1. Best overall Panasonic DP-UB820 2. Best budget Sony UBP-X700 3. Best premium Panasonic DP-UB9000 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the
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