Also today, before we start talking about new announcements, I wanted to give you guys a quick heads up: Earlier this week, it was brought to my attention by a number of Bits readers that there was a piece of artwork circulating on social media that purported to be a Blu-ray release of the original unaltered Star Wars Trilogy. And the release date was set for next month.
And while the idea that Disney and Lucasfilm would release the original unaltered Star Wars Trilogy next month was preposterous, the art looked completely legit. But obviously, in this age of AI, that’s no guarantee of anything.
So I naturally contacted my studio and industry sources. The studio source was the first to get back to me, and was very clear: Not real, definitely not the original unaltered films, it makes no sense to release anything like that this year (given that the official anniversary is next year), and it’s very likely just wishful thinking in the form of an AI fabrication. So, I reported essentially that on my social media.
But then about 10 minutes later, both sources got back to me—the studio sources for the second time—to say that actually, the artwork was real, and it was an actual product, but not the original unaltered Star Wars Trilogy. Instead, it’s part of a repackage and repromote of the existing Blu-rays of all three Star Wars Trilogies being done next month ahead of the annual May the 4th promotion. So, I shared another update on my social media with the corrected details.
And it turns out that the artwork has been used previously on International Blu-ray SKUs of the Original Trilogy—just not here in the States, which is why neither myself nor my source recognized it. Here’s what it looks like…
So there you have it. Just to be 100% clear, that’s not GOUT (George’s Original Unaltered Theatrical) Star Wars, it’s the “Maclunkey” version.
I am very hopeful that in 2027, for the Star Wars franchise’s 50th anniversary, we might get the newly remastered GOUT version of the trilogy on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD, sometime after the already announced worldwide theatrical screening of the original and newly remastered Star Wars on February 19, 2027 (which will include IMAX). But we’ll have to wait and see.
Okay! Now, let’s move on…
In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has revealed that Bernard MacMahon’s excellent documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) will be released as a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Limited Edition on 4/14. The film is already available on Blu-ray. The limited edition will include Steelbook packaging, photo cards, a letter from the director, guitar picks, an iron-on jacket patch, and a vinyl sticker.
Sony has also launched pre-orders for Tyree Dillihay’s animated GOAT (2026) on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD, though the street date is still TBA.
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has launched Blu-ray, DVD, 4K and 4K Steelbook pre-orders for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! (2026) and Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights (2026) on a variety of online retailers. The street date is TBA.
A label called Bizarro is releasing Amando de Ossorio’s The Ghost Galleon (1974) on 4K Ultra HD on 4/28.
Vinegar Syndrome is widely releasing Martin Scorsese’s Boxcar Bertha (1972) on 4K Ultra HD on 4/28, along with Andrea Bianchi’s Massacre (1989) and Cindy Sherman’s Office Killer (1997).
Mill Creek Entertainment has set Netflix’s animated Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021) and Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024) for Blu-ray Steelbook double-feature release on 6/2.
88 Films has set Jackie Chan’s Project A (1983) and Project A: Part II (1987) for 4K Ultra HD release in the US on 6/9.
Severin Films has set Lucio Fulci’s Voices from Beyond (1991) for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release on 5/26. Also coming that same day on Blu-ray is Chi Lo (aka Joe Law)’s The Crippled Masters (1979).
And Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced the Brit Noir: Collection I on Blu-ray on 2/26, including Basil Dearden’s Cage of Gold (1950), Guy Hamilton’s The Ringer (1952), and John Lemont’s The Frightened City (1961).
All right, we’ll be back with more Monday.
Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
(You can follow Bill on social media on Twitter/X, BlueSky, and Facebook, and also here on Patreon)