Should new footage of Prequel Characters be added to the Classic DVD's?

**Tycho** · 05-28-2002

We have no confirmation of several rumors that are going around out there, but this situation mirrors that of when N'Sync was rumored to being added to AOTC. Fans made a difference!

But now the situation is different: these are not pop-culture extras that could be added to scenes in the Classic Trilogy, but Real Star Wars Characters.

Specifically, it is rumored that it's being considered to add Jimmy Smits as Viceroy Bail Organa watching the Death Star approach and destroy his home planet of Alderaan while Grand Moff Tarkin threatens Princess Leia to do just that.

And it is also rumored that Natalie Portman will film for a scene in Return of the Jedi portraying Padme Amidala for an unknown sequence which could involve anything from a taped hologram, an appearance of a ghost sensed by the Force-sensitive, to the actual return of the then-50-year-old living mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

We've tried different options to help count votes on how each of you feel, but ultimately SirSteve and JediTricks felt it better to simplify the choices because the 5 options I gave originally confused some people and made it difficult to draw meaning from just glancing at the results.

Let's try this again now and please post your thoughts.

Should new footage of Prequel Characters be added to the Classic DVD's?

**plasticfetish** · 05-28-2002

I heard about this a while ago ... (maybe it was here, who knows.)
I wasn't overly impressed with the changes made to the Original Trilogy for the other re-release. Frankly, I thought they were just unnecessary ... and on one or two occasions stuck out like a sore thumb.
I respect Lucas' right to do whatever he wants with his movies ... but, as the saying goes ... at some point you have to just walk away. Is there going to be a trust fund dedicated to updating these 6 movies as new technologies develop in the decades to come? Why not just go back (obvious sarcasm here) and digitally remake the first three movies entirely. Then we can have even more of the strangely animated and entirely too expressive Jaba CG character.
I had heard a while back that the delay to release the OT DVDs had to do with Lucas not having the appropriate amount of time to do it "right". It bothers me to think he was really waiting just so he could fill tiny holes in the plot or ad new eye candy to the already historic films.
Oh well.

**Salacious** · 05-28-2002

They should put these new scenes on a seperate disk like they did for Episode 1, but not in the actual movie.

According to Rick McCallum at the Celebration 2, Lucas IS considering new shots for the original trilogy.

Personally, I would like to see the original films on DVD along with the Special Editions.

**Brett3xmvpfavre** · 05-28-2002

When did Leia say that Padme was dead? Also i think that there should be a lot of changes made to link the 2 trilogies together and make them flow easier. For example Obi-Wan says he was trained by Yoda, but obviously Qui Gonn Jin did that.

**Maximillian Phokas** · 05-28-2002

Adding extra footage to already existing films 20+ years old is ridiculous. This is nothing more than another money-making scheme cooked up by Lucas. Granted, we are all waiting for the Classic Trilogy to come out on DVD - heck, that's why I BOUGHT a DVD player in the first place, but why change something already familiar to the audience? Better yet, why taint that Classic Trilogy with footage from the new trilogy that, in my opinion, had a far less resonance and much less depth?

If Lucas wants to add anything to the original trilogy, let's see the original scene with Luke viewing the space battle from Tatooine, or the scene with he and Biggs. For Empire, let's see that deleted Wampa-attack scene, or the Desert Sand storm in Jedi. Lucas already has footage to add. Why MAKE MORE?

And finally, and this seems like a contradiction to the above paragraph, but I'm not happy with the idea of changing movies around to reflect the current PC charts, or what seems acceptable. It was OK for us to watch back in 1977 Han Solo shooting Greedo first, before they redid that scene - poorly I might add. Or add a lame sound byte of Luke screaming as he's falling down the shaft in Cloud City in Empire (which is a recylced scream by Palpatine when he gets thrown in Jedi), or turning an already cheezy (but campy) music sequence in Jabba's palace into a Disneyfied nightmare. Don't tamper with the Classics!!! We liked them just fine before. There's no need to take an already existing movie and tweak it.

**JediTricks** · 05-28-2002

From the ROTJ script...

LUKE: Leia... do you remember your mother? Your real mother?

LEIA: Just a little bit. She died when I was very young.

LUKE: What do you remember?

LEIA: Just...images, really. Feelings.

LUKE: Tell me.

LEIA: She was very beautiful. Kind, but...sad.

**CooLJoE** · 05-28-2002

Obi WAS trained by Yoda. Remember in AOTC Yoda was training many young Jedi. Obi went through the same thing. So that statement stands true.

And Leia never said PADME was dead. Just that her mother was dead. Remember, Padme gave both of them up to 2 seperate parents. So to Leia, her real mother was whoever cared for her after Padme gave her up.

As for my view of the changes. They sound like crap. Its fine the way they are. SE was ok, but original was best, and if anything I would like for Lucas to make it so we can choose which version BETWEEN THOSE 2 that we want to watch.

IF ANYTHING, throw in the scene with Luke watching the battle from tatooine which was in the original book. Not sure about the Luke/Biggs scene since I have never heard of it.

**JodyB** · 05-28-2002

Why add any new footage!! You guys need to remember why you love those films so much! Did anyone add scenes to Citizen Kane? NO!!!! Great films are great films because they were made great the first time!!!

**stillakid** · 05-28-2002

Oddly enough, I voted "Yes, it would help bring all the 6 movies together!"

Why? Because he already f'd them up with TPM and it's unlikely that he'll go back and change that. I absolutely hate that he's screwing with the established storyline that everybody in the world loves, but at this point anyway, I'd be more content with something cohesive across the saga. This isn't to say that I support gratuitous cameos and idiotic additions (like showing Hayden donning the suit in EPIII), but minor dialogue to "introduce" Qui Gon as Obi's master is necessary. And don't forget about the Midi's.

Enhance and improve the FX until the cows come home. That's cool with me.

**stillakid** · 05-28-2002

Originally posted by Tycho
Should new footage of Prequel Characters be added to the Classic DVD's?

No, new footage of Prequel Characters should not be added to the Classic DVD's.

Adding Prequel characters to the Original Trilogy will not bring cohesiveness to the saga, rather they would be nothing more than cameo appearances just because George is able to do it.

However, changes to the story itself, through dialogue and/or character action should be included to bring cohesiveness to the saga (ie, Qui Gon Jinn, Midichlorian introductions)

And, yes, enhancing FX (ie. Rancor monster matte lines) is ok by me.

I hope that clears up any misconstruing of my vote.

There doesn't appear to be a checkbox that completely reflects my views.