Briefly: It seems crazy, it being 2015 and all, but for some strange reason, the Star Wars saga has never (legally) been available on digital platforms.
This is all set to change this Friday, April 10th, when the entire saga (in all of its Special Edition glory) will debut on on digital platforms globally. All six films will be available, and they’re also set to include a batch of brand new extras.
Here’s the announcement from StarWars.com:
The Star Wars films will soon become more powerful than you can possibly imagine: the classic series is going digital for the first time ever.
As anticipation builds for the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first new film in the Star Wars saga in a decade, The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox today announced the upcoming release of The Star Wars Digital Movie Collection. All six epic films in the saga, from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi, will be available on Digital HD globally beginning Friday, April 10.
“Since the debut of the first film nearly 40 years ago, Star Wars has become a worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans from every generation,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s only fitting that audiences enjoy this legendary saga and its many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories on a wide variety of platforms, and we’re very excited to finally bring all six films to Digital HD for the first time.”
“We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars saga on their digital devices wherever they go,” commented Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists — the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life.”
With Star Wars: Episodes I-VI available for purchase as a complete digital movie collection and individually, viewers will have the Rebel forces at their beck and call across their favorite devices anywhere — sunbathing at the beach, relaxing in their living room with friends, or waiting to board a flight to Endor (or elsewhere).
Plus, unlike Lando’s bargaining with Darth Vader, this deal is getting better all the time: Enhancing the movie collection are a host of never-before-seen special features including Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside and insightful Conversations between key contributors from across this celebrated film franchise, plus a curated collection of classic Star Wars extras from each film.
And a trailer for the upcoming collection:
It’s been some time since I’ve watched through the entire saga, and I haven’t owned it since it first released on DVD, so I could definitely see myself picking up this collection on iTunes. Will you be picking up the saga in its new, non-physical format? Sound out below!