by the fans for the fans

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Lucasfilm has finally announced that the ‘Star Wars’ Blu-rays will hit North America on September 16th – as well as revealed the full special feature details for ‘Star Wars: The Complete Saga.’

Despite the possibility that many of us have already purchased the Star Wars saga on at least two home viewing formats, there’s still plenty of excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the Star Wars films on Blu-ray.

As we journey closer to that infamous galaxy Far Far Away, I mean September release date, Lucasfilm has been unveiling a steady stream of information on the upcoming retail offerings -- and today, we’re getting a comprehensive set of details explaining just what special features will be included in the Star Wars: The Complete Saga set (you can pre-order it by clicking on that link).


George Lucas has made a career out of tempting fans with an ever-evolving means by which to enjoy the film franchise. First there was the original theater trilogy -- followed by the subsequent home video releases on VHS and Beta (starting with a New Hope in September 1982) with LaserDisc, Widescreen, and THX rereleases to follow. Then came the Special Edition rerelease -- and subsequent VHS home video release. Next-up the release of the prequel trilogy -- starting with a VHS release of Episode 1 and then subsequent DVD releases following each film’s time on the big-screen. In 2004, Lucas released Episodes 4-6 on DVD as well as, for anyone who purchased the box-set, a special-feature bonus disc.

Now, seven years later, the entire saga will be released on Blu-ray. That said, with the impending 3D rerelease of Star Wars: Episode 1 slated for February 2012, it’s probably only a matter of time before LucasFilm releases the 3D film versions as, given their turn-around time on prior releases, a digital download, holo-disc, or whatever fancy new tech we’re using in 2018.

Admittedly, it’s easy to pick on Lucas for the constant cycle of theater and home video format rereleases but there’s no doubt that the filmmaker takes the evolution of the core film franchise very seriously. Sure, he’s also making a ridiculous amount of money by constantly giving fans a new way to experience the films (for better or worse) but, unlike a lot of directors and producers in Hollywood these days, Lucas does set the bar high for each subsequent theater or home release -- taking the necessary time to make sure the experience is worth the studio’s time as well as fan’s hard-earned money.

As long as new formats and film experiences are being developed, there’s no doubt that Lucas will be there to see if it makes sense for the Star Wars saga -- especially since fans, in spite of their complaints, always turn out in droves.

Check out the full list of special features for the Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-rays below:

Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars with your whole family when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

Special Features:

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

DISC ONE — STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC TWO — STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC THREE — STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FOUR — STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FIVE — STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SIX — STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI

- Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
- Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SEVEN — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III

- Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

DISC EIGHT — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI

- Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

DISC NINE — THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES

- NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) — Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures…these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
-- NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) — George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.
-- NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) — The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!
- The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) — Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
-- The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
-- Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.
-- Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) — See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.
- Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) — Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.

Feel The Force of the Star Wars Infinite Saga Site!

This September, the Star Wars Saga comes to Blu-ray for the very first time. Now you can be part of this groundbreaking release, through the magic of “infinite zoom” technology. When you share this site with your friends, exclusive imagery from the release will be revealed. And the more the site is shared around the world, the more the world will see. So spread the word today and “zoom” into the the ultimate insider’s view of Star Wars on Blu-ray!

While the film-disc content is limited to audio commentaries (though there are two tracks per film this time), the “Star Wars Documentaries” disc definitely sounds appealing -- especially the “Star Wars Spoofs” feature. Of course the films will also feature HD video and 6.1 DTS Surround Sound, so if you’re still on the fence about which box set you’re going to buy -- check out our coverage of the various Star Wars Blu-ray packages.

Follow me on Twitter @ iambenkendrick and let us know what you think of Blu-ray’s special feature offerings.

The Star Wars Blu-rays will arrive on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America.

Source: Lucasfilm

Feel The Force of the Star Wars Infinite Saga Site!