"Unseen Star Wars Cut to Screen in London"

Think you've seen the 1977 classic *Star Wars*? Think again. What you've likely encountered is one of the many altered versions distributed after its initial theatrical release, tweaked by George Lucas himself and later known as the "special editions" of this iconic saga. However, there's a new hope on the horizon: fans now have the chance to witness the true original cut that Lucas left behind all those years ago.

This June, the British Film Institute will kick off their Film on Film Festival with a screening of one of the scarce Technicolor prints from *Star Wars'* initial run that remains intact, as reported by The Telegraph. This marks the first public screening of this print since December 1978, although it was previously available on VHS. The print has been meticulously preserved at 23 degrees Fahrenheit for the past forty years, ensuring a near-perfect viewing experience for attendees.

George Lucas began altering the film as early as the first theatrical re-release in 1981, and since then, Lucasfilm has only permitted screenings of the various "special editions." Lucas has historically been firm about not showing the original cut of what we now refer to as *Episode IV: A New Hope*. He expressed his stance clearly in a 2004 interview with the Associated Press, stating, "The Special Edition, that’s the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it’s on VHS, if anybody wants it. I’m not going to spend the — we’re talking millions of dollars here — the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I’m sorry you saw a half-completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I’m the one who has to take responsibility for it. I’m the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they’re going to throw rocks at me, they’re going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished."

It's unclear what has prompted Lucas to reconsider his stance with this upcoming screening, but fans certainly aren't complaining about this rare opportunity to see the film in its original form.