I didn't see this posted here or in prequel trilogy section today, so I thought I would share it...

The Digital Bits is reporting (in their rumor mill section) some tentative release dates for Episode III, and a little more info on possible box set releases:

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http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#0608

6.08.2005

We've checked in with our retail sources, and have been told that Lucasfilm tentatively plans to debut Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith on DVD on 11/1.

This would seem to be corroborated by a report from The Force.net today that indicates an 11/1 DVD release for Episode III, along with a new 3-title box set of the prequel trilogy and a 6-title box set of the complete saga.

We can't confirm the box set information at the moment, so take all of the above with a grain of salt until official announcements are made.

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Yeah, redone Yoda and a digital transfer of TPM (which would be the real selling point for me) would sell alot of those boxes. And since the Yoda change was done in 03, It would seem like it's only a matter of time before they make it public.

You mean it's confirmed they didn't just train for their animation to resemble Oz's (&Crew) work, but they've also spent hours removing the puppet from the movie?

I guess they could recreate some shots from scratch but most would be a problem. Unless Lucas is determined to do this, I don't think it's 'done'.

Ok then. I didn't know that. Still, they didn't ellaborate about it much, did they?

And it's much harder to do this then the SE Jabba. With the size of Jabba the actor from the original footage didn't need to be cut out, he could be entirely covered by the creature. Why do you think for the scenes with Jar Jar or Dexter they filmed footage both with the actors 'playing' them and without them, making it much more difficult for other actors.

I didn't think that Lucas was really bothered by the TPM Yoda, but I guess I was wrong.

Because it was cheaper for Lucas to not have an actor in there for the actual shot?

You do know that for TPM, Jar-Jar was in most of the shots in a suit that was eventually replaced.

Trust me, replacing that thing would be child's play.

I don't know why he didn't just throw out the puppet once he saw it and make a new one. It's a joke.

didn't they have the actors do a run through with whatshisname in the jar jar suit, then film it with no one there so they wouldn't have to CG over anything? i'm pretty sure the 'final' filmed version had no actor in jar jar's place for the most part

I suggest you watch those DVD documentaries again.

Where do you think all the problems for the characters to find eye contact with the creatures come from? There is nothing there.

Ok, so there was a lot of Jar Jar in TPM. It's not impossible to cut out Ahmed from the frames, it just takes a lot more time and money to do it properly, a lot more. So they could do a few shots like that. I don't know, where you got this information about the majority of the shots, though. I remember that in the big TPM DVD doc there's the shooting footage of the scene on Tatooine, where Jar Jar sits on the ground and Qui-Gon gives him his hand to lift him and only Liam was there. If they could do that, I don't see, where they would need a different technique.

If you watch that very documentary, you'll see near the end of production, Knoll goes to Lucas and reveals it would be easier to just replace Ahmed completely with a digital character instead of just replacing the head, as originally planned.

So yeah, you're right, like I inferred earlier, it's not too hard for these guys to replace a character with a digital one, it's just more money, hence why in Episode II, all the digital characters didn't have stand-ins during actual shots.

But I still don't see how this means they'd have a hard time replacing the puppet in TPM. Hell, it would be easier than replacing Ahmed with Jar Jar.

Wake me up when Beast Machines and Gargoyles Season 2 finally make it to DVD.

Regarding Jar Jar in TPM, this is how it went down:
-They made a Jar Jar suit with the intention of just replacing the head
-Knoll/Coleman revealed it would be cheaper to do a whole CG creature rather than a head replacement
-But, the suit was already made, so they used it anyways. The actors would rehearse a shot with a suited Ahmed in the right spot, for practice and lighting reference for the forthcoming CG Jar Jar
-For real takes, suited Ahmed steps out of frame and the actors to their best to recreate what they just did.

Removing puppet Yoda is a bit more difficult, but shit..if they painted out the crew reflections from C3PO in ROTS, then it ain't no problem to paint out puppet Yoda in TPM. I bet they've done it and it's done completely. Done done done. I'll call George and ask, just to make sure...

I don't know what the big deal is. The Yoda TPM is already done. They did it to practice for Episode III. They said it in the Star Wars Homing Beacon. They put a digital Jabba in the place of a human actor for IV, so I'm sure it was difficult, but anyone good and worthwhile to do is never easy.

They do both actually. They shoot some takes with the voice actors on set interacting with the other actors and some takes without the voice actors so ILM has a "clean plate" to work with.

For Lord of the Rings they actually painted out Andy Serkis in many shots and replaced him with Gollum. They said this was a pain staking process though.

I don't think that it would be that hard to do in TPM however, since Yoda has very little screen time and sits alone in a chair for most of it anyway. The scene where he is talking with Obi-Wan on Naboo would probably be the hardest to do. I personally wouldn't care, as the TPM Yoda SUCKED.

Lucas, however, had better not even THINK about touching the OT Yoda... I could just see it... no... just no *tries no to think about it*

They should really fix the bad sabers in the OT though, they did a pretty half-assed job with the DVDs, I expect better. I don't know which is worse, Luke's teal saber or Vaders pink one...

The sabers REALLY need to be fixed in the OT.

Once they went through the Lowry scan, it really screwed them up. They look ridiculus and they never should have allowed the last release.

Horrible job.

The artwork was fantastic for all of them. It actually made it look like an epic, why didn't they just use those covers for all of them?

Lowry was saying in a press conference for the DVD release that he needed more time to do a better job and was promptly shut up by a Lucas rep.

That pisses me off. Why can't they release ONE QUALITY package?

At least with Lord of The Rings EE, they had a leaflet enclosed with the RoTK for a box to encase all three DVD sets.

I think it's more likely a rights issue. Drew Struzan's one of the few (if not only) artists involved with Star Wars who gets to keep his originals, and I believe that using the poster imagery on separate items like the novels or DVD covers would require a separate chunk of cash. Even when they've been used on soundtrack covers, it's been to a somewhat limited extent.

The German site World of Video has an interview with George Lucas. He is talking about the digital cinema, 3-D Star Wars ,the TV series and about the DVD version of ROTS.

Here is the part about the DVD:

What a stupid question. Of course there will be deleted scenes on the DVD, there has for both of the other prequels...

I thought it was pretty much a given that the Rebellion scenes would be on the DVD.

Meh, good to get a confirmation though, I guess.

The following have to happen for me to repurchase the DVDs:
- Fix the fucking sabers!
- Fix the awful CG in Bespin in Empire
- CG Yoda in Menace.
- Fix the sound in A New Hope.

The following would be great, but not neccessary:
- Rescore Sith. (I know. Not gonna happen)
- Redo Jabba in A New Hope (and fix chewie continuity), or remove the scene altogether.
- Either put Boba Fett's old voice back in, or have Tem read the lines not half-arsed.
- Redo the Yoda duel in Clones. Yup, that was stupid.
- New covers. Even I could do better than these ones...

I think he means in the movie itself.

In that case, this dissapoints me. Including the Bail/Padme subplot in the actual film would, in my opinion, slow the pace right down. Though I'd really love to see this footage, I really don't think it's a good idea to include in the actual film...

I'll be shocked if it actually is in the movie itself. GL probably just meant the bonus disc.

I agree, he wouldn't fuck with OUR shit....

No, he's not going add THAT much. It would be more drastic then reinserting the Padme family scenes in Episode II. It's just not something Lucas does with DVD versions. You get extra taxi fly-bys and a few extra Pod Race shots, and Padme saying "uhuh" instead of "yes". You don't get a whole new sub plot.

Because everyone knows that these aren't his movies, their the fans.


Well, Yoda was one of the things that really bugged me in TPM. I mean, CGI Yoda was already in TPM, just not for the talking scenes when he was a puppet.

One in ROTS I want GL to fix.....

Either refilm or take out the scene with Padme brushing her hair, because once she turns around......ICK!

I would buy all 6 again if they'd just put Qui-Gon fucking Jinn's ghost in ROTS.

Why would Qui-Gon appear to Luke?

Indeed. Luke doesn't even know who the hell Qui Gon is. He's not even mentioned in the entire OT! And I don't believe Qui Gon is a ghost... he just learned how to communicate with the living... But I could be wrong about that.

Theres actually a pretty good explanation for the Qui Gon not appearing as a ghost in the OT thing. That is if you think the Thrawn Trilogy is canon.

Here in Italy, the date of release is certain: November 2nd

Explain?

That's a CGI Padme in that scene...

Q: Mr. Lucas, is it true that there is footage, which will be only available on the DVD version of Revenge of the Sith?

A: Yes, we have shoot a little subplot, where Padmé and Bail Organa have an important part. This footage for example was not in the cinema version but will be exclusive on the DVD Version.

Sounds like SW: Extended Edition to me.

box set, cgi yoda in ep I... fuck it, I'm getting epIII on dvd and that'll be the end of it. The saga's good enough for me as it is.

New information from thedigitalbits.com:

"Consider this tidbit seriously Rumor Mill-worthy, but an Italian online DVD retailer has posted possible early details on a little of what you can expect from Lucasfilm and Fox's DVD release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith in November. According to the site, look for the 2-disc set to include 2 behind-the-scenes featurettes/documentaries, 5 deleted scenes, a music video, theatrical trailers, 12 TV spots, a production photo gallery, DVD-ROM weblinks to an exclusive Star Wars.com site, an Episode III videogame trailer and a playable Battlefront II game demo. We suspect there will also be audio commentary. Watch for official details to emerge soon from Lucasfilm, with an anticipated street date for the release of either 11/1 or 11/8."

Stay tuned, bitches!

I dunno, it was German translation, so it could go either way.

It just seems very unlike Lucas to add THAT much to the movie that it would actually change the whole flow.

I don't think they'll be re-edited in.

Rick said that they're in the deleted scenes for good reason.

Uh, since the DVD. The theatrical version of the scene ended after Anakin said "I hate them!" if I remember correctly. The DVD added back in Anakin's remorse for his actions and Padme trying to console him "To be angry it to be human".

You do realize this is not helping your case?

hmm... didn´t Lucas extend the confession scene, because some critics were complaining that Padmé didn´t react to Anakins confession?

perhaps the same will happen with the ep3 dvd. didn´t some critics (or fans) complain that Padmé actually is just standing around and waiting?...


I think I translated that passage from the interview right (from German to English), but perhaps the site has translated the interview wrong (from English to German) and Lucas really just meant the bonus disk....

Is the 3D version getting released on DVD? I think that German interview says that a 6 disc DVD set will come out, and then the 3D set will come out on HD-DVD or BluRay in 2007, whichever becomes the standard.

There's a difference between a twenty-second extension to the confession and bulking the movie up to 150 minutes. I highly, highly doubt those Rebel alliance scenes go back in the film.

Comon, smarten up. You know those scenes aren't going to be put back in, it would alter the entire focus of the movie.

How about this, if all those scenes are re-incorporated into the film, I will never post here ever again, and you can quote me on that.

The 3D version of ANH will be released to theaters in 2007, with the remaining films being released in that format on a yearly basis. Seems unlikely we'll be seeing 3D discs anytime soon.

While Lucas's goal is 2007, it may not happen. He's waiting for more/all theaters to install digital projecters. He's hoping in two years that most of them will upgrade by then. If they don't upgrade in that time, he might hold off, because they may not be any money in it.

I believe somewhere Lucas has been quoted that the digital technology in the theaters need to be present for him to release the 3D films.

Like I said above, there needs to be money in it for him to actually spend the money to release, promote, etc..., because a limited release to only digital theaters may result in little to no profit.

Would the 3D be done up on IMAX?

Uh, yeah right. Lucas added a few seconds to a scene because of what the critics said...

The films are fine.
That's why I like 'em, funnily enough.

I'd rather we got the extras Star Wars deserves.
If some fan can cobble together Deleted Magic, I don't see why Lucas couldn't cobble together a decent and comprehensive "deleted scenes" section.

Adding a digital Yoda to TPM, yeah, of course I'd, grudgingly, buy it as a fan.
But it is merely a cosmetic change at the end of the day.
For me, the 2004 ANH Jabba looks 100% better than 1997 ANH Jabba... but still 100% shitter than ROTJ Jabba, so I couldn't care less.
But if Lucas gave us the desert sandstorm, Luke's saber training on Dagobah, the Wampa battle, Vader choking Jerjerrod etc - I'd be down the shops like a flash.

Yeah, I know - not gonna happen though...

Not true...these changes were made in the DLP version of the film. They were NOT made strictly for the DVD.