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Disney to Release 4K Version of ‘Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back’ to Boost U.K. Cinemas

It’s Time To Go

It’s Time To Go

Member
Dec 2, 2017
20,612
The Force is with U.K. cinemas this July as they plan to reopen doors with a remastered 4K edition of "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," Variety can reveal.

It's understood the planned screenings mark the first time a "Star Wars" film from the original trilogy will be screened to cinema audiences in 4K. European cinema giant Vue will show the film in the U.K.

Thus far, the 4K edition of the 1980 film — the second title in the original trilogy, in which Luke Skywalker studies the Force with Yoda as the Galactic Empire pursues the Rebel Alliance — has only been made available on the studio's streaming platform Disney Plus and via Blu-ray, where it was released in late March alongside 4K versions of the seven other Skywalker Saga films.

The contribution of the title is a prime example of how U.S. studios are leveraging the might of their immense libraries to help the exhibition sector get back on its feet.
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variety.com

Disney to Release 4K Version of ‘Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back’ to Boost U.K. Cinemas (EXCLUSIVE)

The Force is with U.K. cinemas, which will reopen doors in July with a remastered edition of “The Empire Strikes Back,” Variety can reveal.
variety.com variety.com


Much as I'd love to go see that in the cinemas right now, like fuck will I be going into a cinema in the middle of a pandemic.
 
Xando

Xando

Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,292
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Mekanos

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,127
Fuck you, Disney. I'd go see this but not during a fucking pandemic.
 

softfocus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
903
Maybe help the industry when things are up and running by not taking such a big percentage of ticket sales, giving the cinemas something to try and survive with.
Unless cinemas become standing only, they shouldn't open and I'm not standing up for 3 hours for an old ass film.
 
Blader

Blader

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,607
The only issue I have with this version is inserting the shot of Vader's shuttle into the middle of the Falcon-rescuing-Luke sequence. Totally unnecessary and interrupts the flow of those scenes. Of all the things Lucas added to the OT, this is one of the weirder ones to insist on.
 
StickofRock

StickofRock

Member
Oct 28, 2017
317
er what, the special edition trilogy has already been shown at UK cinemas. Wouldn't that have been more than 4k? I thought they were remastered film prints?
 
Tavernade

Tavernade

Tavernade
Moderator
Sep 18, 2018
8,622
I don't see what the problem is with this. If theatres have to reopen or risk bankruptcy they'll need something to show, and niche releases like this will ensure theaters aren't packed but have a small number of customers to keep them alive until it's actually safe.

I don't think any non essentials should be open during the pandemic at all, but if they have to be, back catalogue films like this are a nice way of putting something out there.
 
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BDS

BDS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,845
I would love to see Empire on the big screen, why are they only doing this in the UK?
 
Maximo

Maximo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,165
Australia only has a few cases and I still wouldn't go to the movies right now....
 
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