Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray Details Released

Today, after months of anticipation and timed to coincide with “Star Wars Day,” FOX and LucasFilm announced what exactly would be included in the Blu-ray sets scheduled to be released on September 16 in North America (four days earlier internationally).  Immediately of note, and perhaps not a huge surprise, is the fact that it is not stated that the set will include the original theatrical versions of the first trilogy.  For some this may make the press release’s statement that “you can revisit all your favorite Star Wars moments” potentially incorrect. 

But, ours is not to wonder about such things at the moment.  Most assuredly in the months to come fans of the franchise will make their opinions known about this omission 

Although both the original and new trilogies will be available separately, if bought together, Star Wars:  The Complete Saga (as it has been titled) is nine-discs.  Naturally, included on the discs is brand new bonus material as well as older pieces. 

Each film will come with two different sets of audio commentaries.  One of these commentaries will feature Lucas and a selection of cast/producers/crew and the other will have archival interviews.

While the above are not specifically denoted as being new, the contents of discs seven and eight both are.  Disc seven is entitled “Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III” while eight is the “Star Wars Archives: Episode IV-VI.”  Each of these discs include deleted scenes, alternate/extended scenes as well as interviews, concept art, and a whole lot more.

Disc nine, as the press releases notes, is a mix of old and new documentaries.  As for the new, there is:  “Star Warriors,” “A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later,” and “Star Wars Spoofs.”  The older material includes “The Making of Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX,” “Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi,” “Anatomy of a Dewback,” and “Star Wars Tech.”

You can find the full description from the press release of disc nine’s documentaries as well as the box art released today below.

Disc nine details as noted in press release:

• 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.