Considering what a cultural landmark the Star Wars movie series has been, it’s sort of amazing that it’s still not available in digital HD. In just a few days, that all changes.
Disney/Lucasfilm has announced that the entire Star Wars saga will finally be available digitally, and we won’t have to wait long.
When is it out?
All six Star Wars films will be arriving on digital HD platforms for the first time on Friday, April 10. Because of the fact that these movies still aren’t available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the like, this will also be the first time that you’ll be able to (legally) download and stream them on computers, mobile devices, and consoles.
Where can I buy/rent them?
The movies will be available as a collection or individually at practically every major digital retailer, including iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Vudu, and on the Xbox and PlayStation stores.
Will they include the original versions of the movies?
Sadly, these digital releases will be the same as the most recent batch of Blu-ray releases. We’re all still holding out hope that the original cuts of the film, sans CG “enhancement,” will see the light of day, but that day is not going to be Friday.
Is there any reason to buy these again if I already own the Blu-rays?
Aside from having them in a convenient digital format, there’s another big reason to pick these up. Each digital release will include two never-before-seen bonus features, Star Wars: Discoveries from the Inside and Conversations. Additionally, they will each include a curated selection of previously released bonus features.
Here’s the full list of exclusive bonus features:
STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace
- Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back
- Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures
- Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones
- Conversations: Sounds In Space
- Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed
- Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE III: Revenge of the Sith
- Conversations: The Star WarsThat Almost Was
- Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers
- Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A New Hope (20th Century Fox)
- Conversations: Creating A Universe
- Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber
- Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Conversations: The Lost Interviews
- Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled
- Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE VI: Return of the Jedi
- Conversations: The Effects
- Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt
- Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.
