Update! Turner Lands Network TV Rights To Entire Star Wars Film Series
Turner, The Time Warner division has announced today they’ve landed a multi-year licensing agreement with Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox, granting them the cable rights to the entire Star Wars movie series. As a part of the deal, the global media giant will be able to premiere all six original Star Wars films including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the upcoming spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and the next three yet-to-be-released Star Wars films. Read on for more!
Turner, has struck a nine-figure deal with Disney for basic cable rights to 10 “Star Wars” movies, and it has set a separate agreement with 20th Century Fox for the original 1977 blockbuster (Fox still holds the TV rights to the original film). The license term of the deal will make TNT and TBS the home for Star Wars through the year 2022. Also included, is the on-demand rights to offer the movies on its ad-supported streaming and VOD platform. Industry sources have said that the entire package license term (worth upwards of 250 million) will run through the year 2022. Fox’s FX, NBCUniversal, USA Network also were reportedly to have been in the running for the package
The six original Star Wars films will begin airing over six family filled evenings on TNT starting on September 20th. Then, on September 24th and 25th, the magic returns with the Star Wars movie marathon. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is said to arrive on Turner in early 2018 after completing its initial pay TV run on Starz. Also, yet another marathon of the six pics is planned before the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Dec. 16.
The big question for many purists (like myself) will be: What versions of the “Star Wars”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” will be aired on TNT television?
Right now, the answer is unknown, however, we will keep you up-to-date as more information becomes available…
One more thing, this news is also interesting since AMC Theatres paid for a movie marathon that included newly remastered / re-tooled Special Editions back before the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At this time, it is unknown whether or not there will be some sort of a movie marathon played theatrically prior to Rogue One since it will be playing on TNT. We will also keep you up-to-date on any Cinema news that follow as well.
In the meantime, the Gareth Edwards directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, opens in theaters on December 16
Source: Variety
UPDATE! (via Tim Levers)
In other TV related news, those of you who may be holding out hope for some more original TV action of the non-animated variety may not want to hold your breath. According to an interview with ABC’s Ben Sheerwood over at THR today, a live action Star Wars Television show isn’t going to be making its way into your living room any time soon.
Somewhere we hope in a galaxy not too far away there will be a television show that will air on one of our networks. But I wouldn’t get anybody’s hopes up too high. They have a lot of movies to make between now and then.
UPDATE 2!
The Hollywood Reporter just updated their website with the following premiere dates and times. ‘Star Wars’ will hit network TV for the first time in years…
Mark your calendars!
TNT’s rollout is detailed below:
Tuesday, Sept. 20
8 p.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace11 p.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Wednesday, Sept. 21
8 p.m. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
11:05 p.m. Star Wars: Attack of the ClonesThursday, Sept. 22
8 p.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
11:05 p.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the SithFriday, Sept. 23
8 p.m. Star Wars: A New Hope
10:45 p.m. Star Wars: A New HopeSaturday, Sept. 24
10:45 a.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
1:45 p.m. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
4:55 p.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
8 p.m. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
10:45 p.m. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes BackSunday, Sept. 25
5:15 a.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
8:15 a.m. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
11:20 a.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
2:25 p.m. Star Wars: A New Hope
5:10 p.m. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
8 p.m. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
11 p.m. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
2 a.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
I know its not exactly the place but any news on possible 4k blu-ray release of the films?
Probably as a nine-film box set in 2020.
*Eleven films. 😉
Not until 4K is more of a market.
That four billion Disney paid is going to be one of the biggest steals in history. Right up there with the seven million we bought Alaska for.
And that box of shells we paid for Manhattan.
those crafty dutch sure knew how to make a deal.
No Yub Nub, no watchy-watchy.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
At least there’s the likes of the Despecialized Edition, and there’s always the Dvd release from a few years back, all of which I’d rather watch.
I am in the camp that thinks live action TV is the wrong medium for Star Wars. The effects just aren’t good enough for the Star Wars universe, IMO.
A star trek or even GoT level budget could work. Depends what they had in mind.
I would subscribe to HBO just to get a live-action KTOTR series. i know many other people are in the same boat. if Lucasfilm and HBO would be willing to shell out that kind of money, they’d see plenty of new subscribers.
Yeah, HBO or Netflix makes way more sense than trying to prop up a dying medium. Just follow Marvel’s path.
I think it could work if they did smaller stories following just people in the star wars universe. Not like they’re space travelers or anything, but maybe junk dealers stuck on a planet.
I think they will not make a tv series unless the quality equals a cinematic experience, just like GOT, and will put the bar high for that, thats why there is not a SW live action tv series already, you must be sure LF will not throw anything unless its really good, that needs time and money, and right now they are busy.
As much as I really want the original cuts of the movies, I don’t care that I have to watch Han rubber neck and step on Jabba. It’s still star wars. I’ll watch it.
Luckily I still have the ’04 box set with the original-ish cut. 😉
I have the original trilogy on pristine LaserDisc, but alas no working LaserDisc player to play them on.
Harmy is still my goto.
I’d hardly call the 2004 SEs “original-ish”.
no, no they aren’t. lol. but that box set came with the SEs and disks with a pre special edition version of the OT. its not the theatrical cut, but its good enough for me.
Oh, the 2006 ones.
D’oh! sorry about that.
Yeah, it’s more footage of Han Solo, plus an appearance of Boba Fett. I don’t see why so many people complain.
Because it screws up the pace of the film, repeats nearly verbatim information we JUST got from Greedo, looks totally out of place with the rest of the film, and which was never part of the film on release?
We’re getting a KOTOR series someday.
Someday.
Cool!!
It will be the Special Editions. I think Lucas has some stipulation that the originals never be shown again.
If true, that is absolutely pathetic.
It’s his right, wrong though it may be.
True – but thank god Lucas is now OUT of the Star Wars equation forever.
I don’t disagree. his time has passed
Ha ha, as I said before, nonsense. Everyone involved now in SW is trying to recreate what George did, did you forget George invented it? and because of that you are here right now, and because of him you have Star Wars and will have more and more?
And Kent, if you don’t remember, was Lucas himself who released the unaltered versions in 2004, its not like he burned them all, And if you are a fan, you may have that editions, for sure, and so you can go to your living room and watch them, at this very moment, right? what’s the problem then? 🙂
Don’t hate man, be happy, and enjoy SW.
Happy Star Wars watching!
He released the unaltered versions in 2006. The thing was, those versions were shitty scans of the 1996 Laserdisc, and featured STATIC letter-boxing. So if you had a widescreen TV, black bars appeared both to the sides and above and below the image. Calling the release subpar would be an understatement.
I bought them in 2005, but were released in 2004… No widescreen, but it’s something , right? maybe some day we all will be pleased. If not, there are the fan edited ones too.
The 2004 Special Editions were initially released in 2004. They were re-released in 2006 with a bonus disc that contained the unaltered editions. As for their quality, I’m personally not satisfied with a shitty 20 year-old transfer of the Star Wars OT, but that’s just me.
I have the unaltered versions that come as bonus and bought that in 2005. I personally don’t have the urge for have new HD version, but If tomorrow that versions are on sale, I’ll buy them of course, as soon as i can, but just to have it like an antology file, it will be a treasure to me for sure, but sincerely I prefer the director´s cut, the definitive director´s cut, even if Vader yells “Nooo” before he saves Luke.
For me is more important what is SW now than what SW was or what people think SW was. GL is the one who knows SW better than anyone, even if some people don’t like it. I’m very trustful and respectful of George Lucas vision, and what I think is the true vision, and even more when I compare the two versions and I don’t really see a change that really alters the story.
You can watch both, at the same time, or separately, and the only BIG difference that really matters is that the latest versions look better, the story is the same and it’s what is important to me. Can you mention a change that really alters the story? Han shot first? that`s a joke to me. You can see the person who he really is in every scene he appears, that “edit” don’t change anything.
If you see the “unaltered” version you can remember SW is F#ing amazing, and if you see the definitive version, its really the same but looks even better. I don’t have to love every change, of course, for example when that dinosaur crosses the screen just before the “this aren’t the droids…” scene, because it blocks mi vision, haha, But I think the very majorty of the changes were for best, may be it’s just me, but think Im not the only one.
I’m very into SW, I like Star Wars because of the stories, and the visuals, and characters, I know there’s nothing else like SW. I watched the VHS over and over, and never bothered me the shitty look, it was the characters and story, and ships, and everything else what was really importat.
So if they release an “unaltered, HD, widescreen version, totally wellcome, if not, we have the definitive versions, the ones that really matters and fit more in the SW as is now.
Maybe I’m totally out of my mind, but I love SW, and it’s what I think.
TL;DR
Here’s a link: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_home_video_releases#Star_Wars_Trilogy_-_Unaltered
And I believe that Lucas is not immune from criticism. Have a nice day.
I can assume you didn’t bought them, its easier to go and read the the date printed in the actual copy, but i see your’e not a reader so that doesn’t help either :). I bought them in 2005 and I’m not a time traveler.
It may be something about the region avalability…
And about the immunity, yea, I dont think Lucas or anyone is immune from criticism, but that’s not what we are talking about.
If you say so. Last time I checked 2006 came a year after 2005. Oh well. Too bad you don’t have the receipt 10–er–11 years later.
Yea to bad haha, i swear it’s true!
I think that is internet speculation. Not sure if it was ever confirmed.
I don’t think any ‘stipulations’, should any actually exist, mean JS once ownership was transferred. I have to believe the originals ARE coming, if for no other reason than simple economics. Disney can’t sell the films as they exist right now in 4k because the SE masters only exist in 1080. They either go back to the negs and do a proper restoration and a new 4k or 8k scan, package it up and sell it and call it a day, or they do all of that AND THEN recreate all of the SE additions in 4k or 8k. One way minimizes costs and releases something that virtually nobody is going to object to (even if they like the SE versions), and many die hard fans will cheer, the other way is more costly and will piss people off. If your Disney, what to do, what to do?
It’s the special editions, AKA, the only ones that exist now.
That’s true, the definitive and official editions ( and cannon of course ) are the ones from 2011, And I’m sure Lucas made that clear and legal when sold LF. But maybe there will be a “bonus” versions in the future, who knows…
I’ll never consider “Jedi Rocks” canon. Ever.
I’ll raise you a Darth Vader’s “Nooooo” in Jedi..
That scene was perfection until the Blu-ray release. Now ruined, because I can’t help but cringe when I hear it.
Exactly. Adding that “Nooo” removes all the power from that scene.
Agree completely. TBH I wasn’t so bothered about a lot of the previous changes, even the whole ‘Han shoots first’ thing didn’t get me that riled. But that change is just baffling – completely ruins an iconic and already perfect scene. I wish they’d diverted the effort into improving the rancor scene effects – still the worst effects in the OT.
That one shot of the rancor hand grabbing Luke is awful, and the clear puppet eating the Gammorrean guard is pretty bad too.
I should preface this comment with the fact that I did enjoy the prequels quite a bit, problems and all. I don’t want to get into a discussion about them but I felt it added context.
By itself I agree, when I first saw that noooo scene as a clip I hated it with a passion. However, upon watching the films again in chronological order I actually appreciated the symmetry between that scene and the Episode 3 turning scene and felt the nooo works much better in that context. I still I don’t love it but I appreciate the added symmetry and could see why Lucas wanted it there.
Still, its better in its original form because the no itself just doesn’t sound good. And Lucas should have done a better job of writing to fit the prequels in to the original trilogy instead of making changes to fit the OT with the PT.
I never say amen… but A-fu**in-men to that.
Sorry Kent, it is cannon.
I’m sorry, but that’s not really your decision. lol
That’s… nice. I don’t really have any interest in this though. Just a nice pay check for Disney. I was a tad concerned it may tie to the TV series… not huge fan of TNT/TBS.
This dampen things for a Netflix Star Wars 🙁
We wont see the original cuts of Star Wars until there is a major announcement they plan to restore them. Which I don’t expect…
I still think disney will release the ORIGINAL Star Wars OT for the 40th Anniversary. If they want to make an EASY BILLION, they will.
No, they won’t. The OT have been released on home video a billion times by now.
Don’t get the allure for SW on TV or any movies on TV for that matter. So hard to get into anything with commercials. Guess if I’m flipping through I’ll watch a bit here and there. Deff need to have a marathon of my own before Rogue One. I’m going to do Prequels, Clone Wars, and Rebels go to Rogue One than watch A New Hope and on ward
Even though I’m sure we all own Blu-Ray and DVD copies of both trilogies, its nice to have the movies back on TV. Something to tune in and out of if nothing else is on. Growing up I always loved when USA Network would play the original trilogy a few times a year.
So much Phantom Menace. Lol.
Is it going to be the awful special editions?