Star Wars on Blu-ray in September

Many have known that Star Wars was going to arrive on Blu-ray at some point, just not when or any details of the what would be included. Now there is a release date timeframe and a few details. At CES today there was finally an official announcement that the complete six-film Star Wars saga will be on Blu-ray in September 2011, so one of the four Tuesdays in November will be Star Wars Blu-ray day. Let's all hope it's my birthday date. That'd be a great present. Or enough gift cards for me to buy it, that'd be fine, too.

In the press release there aren't many details as to what all the extras will be, but there will be new ones that have never been on one of the bazillion Star Wars releases over the years. The special editions will be the main films on the Blu-rays which is fine, but I'm going to bet that the original theatrical versions of the original trilogy won't be included in the extras. They were only ever included on a special limited edition DVD release and weren't even in anamorphic widescreen, so Lucasfilm probably doesn't give enough of a crap about them enough to include them on Star Wars' first Blu-ray release. Maybe on the second or third release, though.

However, there will be three ways to buy the Blu-rays. You can get the complete six-film saga with three bonus discs of old and new extras, coming out to nine discs. Or you can buy each trilogy separately, at three discs each, and get none of the bonus material. That kind of sucks for anyone who only wants the original trilogy, but also wants the bonus material. Well, as any fan knows you got to take the bad with the good when it comes to Star Wars. You can see the official art for the three sets and read the full press release below.

Now, maybe Star Wars being on Blu-ray is how I can get a friend of mine who has never seen a Star Wars movie to finally see them. At least the original trilogy.

The official art is surprisingly simple, but it may just be place holder until they whip up something epic.

Press release:

January 6, 2011

The most anticipated Blu-ray release ever -- the Star Wars Saga -- emerges from light speed this September 2011. For the first time, all six of George Lucas' epic films (Episodes I-VI) are united in one complete set. Fans worldwide are able to pre-order now with online retailers.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:

• Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)
• Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)
• Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for $139.99 US/$179.99 CAN and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for $69.99 US/89.99 CAN. Pricing for each set will vary by international territory.

Flanked by a legion of his finest Imperial stormtroopers, Darth Vader himself joined Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce the release, vowing "The forces of the Empire will be at your disposal to assure the success of this endeavor."

"The Star Wars Saga is the most anticipated Blu-ray collection since the launch of the high-def format," Dunn said. "The epic franchise pioneered sound and visual presentation in theaters and is perfectly suited to do it again in the home, with a viewing experience only possible with Blu-ray."

"With all six episodes available for the first time in one collection, this is a great way for families and home audiences to experience the complete Saga from start to finish," said Doug Yates, Vice President of Marketing, Online, Distribution, Lucasfilm Ltd. "And with the quality of high-definition, Blu-ray provides the most immersive home experience possible."