The Force Awakens at the BFI Film on Film Festival with the first public screening of George Lucas’ original Technicolor Print of Star Wars in decades
Last night, as part of the BFI London Film Festival on the South Bank, the original 1977 Technicolor British release print of George Lucas’ Star Wars was screened for the first time in decades. This version did not include the ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’ title. That title was added after the release of ‘The Empire Strikes Back‘ in 1980. In attendance was Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. She was on hand to support the landmark screening. Kennedy told the crowd that she was in attendance to “legitimize” the original print, declaring it was being shown with Disney’s full backing.
BFI chief executive Ben Roberts said it was a “miracle” the print was in good enough condition to screen publicly.
KATHLEEN KENNEDY
Kennedy stated that anyone who joins Lucasfilm to develop a new “Star Wars” project is shown Lucas’s 1977 film. She referred to it as “the gold standard” of storytelling. She added, “This is the film everyone starts with when we discuss story, George’s intent, and what we’re trying to build upon.”
THE SCREENING
I was lucky enough to be one of the few people invited to see the original print of the film. It was amazing. It felt great to catch up with my old favorites in their proper form. The Technicolor print was stunning, and the sound still hits just as hard as it did back in the day. Watching the film like it was meant to be seen in 1977 was such a treat. I was born in 1978, so I missed the original release. Finally getting to see this cut on the big screen was the realization of a lifelong dream. Like the Special Edition trailer famously said, I saw the film again…for the first time.
The experience was made even more special by the opportunity to see one of the few remaining original continuity scripts for Star Wars up close and personal. The presentation included rare behind-the-scenes Polaroids, handwritten notes, and scenes that were ultimately cut from the final version. This remarkable script originates from Ann Skinner’s collection, who served as the script supervisor for the original film, and is now carefully preserved in the BFI National Archive.
Thank you to the fantastic team at the BFI Film on Film Festival for what was an exceptional night. Every member of the audience truly felt the Force as it was meant to be seen – and that is a dream come true!
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
