With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS a mere 4 months away (is this real life???), you can bet that Lucasfilm is gearing to ramp up the hype machine like you wouldn't believe! Yesterday it was announced that Toys"R"Us would be hosting a midnight event in September to launch all new action figures, and now we have word that the STAR WARS saga will be re-released on Blu-ray this Fall. Before you get too excited about owning the original trilogy, these are the special editions that hit Blu-ray back in 2011 – NOT THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL PRESENTATIONS – so act accordingly!
Pictured above is the look for the new box set which will hit shelves on October 13th. The Complete Saga includes all six feature films on Blu-ray, along with three additional discs containing more than 40 hours of previously-released special features (carried over from the previous Saga box set). Now, for those of you who are very much into steelbooks, Lucasfilm has you covered! On November 10th, commemorative Blu-ray steelbooks will be available FOR A LIMITED TIME featuring Darth Maul for The Phantom Menace, Yoda for Attack of the Clones, General Grievous for Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader for A New Hope, an Imperial stormtrooper for The Empire Strikes Back, and Emperor Palpatine for Return of the Jedi. Note that each Blu-ray disc will feature existing audio commentary with George Lucas and the film crew as well as audio commentary from archival interviews with the cast and crew. If you're looking to own the 3 discs of special features, you have to stick with the Saga box set.
For you gamers who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Star Wars: Battlefront 3 on November 17th, EA has just released some new footage showcasing Fighter Squadron mode. This will allow up to 20 players to take to the skies (no ground units) in ships of their choosing (plus another 20 AI fighters) in order to blast your way to victory. As you'll see from the clip below, Battlefront 3 promises to deliver the amazing visuals and sound we've come to expect from STAR WARS, plus a few ships from the classic trilogy!
Okay, so the Blu-ray re-release is not the original theatrical cuts, as some of us thought Disney might pull out before THE FORCE AWAKENS hits theaters, but at least there's some steelbooks for those who enjoy shiny metal on their shelves. I still believe that Disney is working towards remastering the original films, but that's just a hunch. While I wait to be proven right or wrong, at least Battlefront 3 will occupy my time. Now where's my Star Wars-themed Pepsi drinks?!?
The new STAR WARS Blu-rays will be available for pre-order on August 7, but you can pre-order your copy Star Wars: Battlefront 3 here!