'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
RELEASE THE THEATRICAL CUT!
· TechRadarOpinion By James Davidson published 6 March 2026
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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 I’m 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 there’s 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.
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
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 I’d 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 don’t want.
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