Star Wars saga will finally arrive on iTunes this week

By

Photo:
May the iTunes account be with you. Photo: Lucafilm

The Star Wars movies will finally arrive in iTunes this week, marking the classic series (and its three disappointing prequels) going digital for the first time ever.

“We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars saga on their digital devices wherever they go,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists — the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life.”

Check out more details about the bonus features below:

Although we’ve been warned that digital bonus offerings may vary according to platform, this is what we’re expecting:

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace

Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back
Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures
Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes.

Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones

Conversations: Sounds In Space
Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed
Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes.

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Conversations: The Star Wars That Almost Was
Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers
Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes

Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope

Conversations: Creating A Universe
Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber
Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes.

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

Conversations: The Lost Interviews
Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled
Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes.

Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi

Conversations: The Effects
Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt
Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.

There’s no word on whether these are the “Special Edition” movies or the original versions, although in the absence of any additional description, I’d assume the former. While that’s a shame, given that I’m sure the majority of viewers would prefer the movies as they originally appeared in theaters, at least this is better than nothing.

In addition to iTunes, the movies will also be available on Google Play, Amazon, Vudu, Amazon, Xbox Video, PlayStation Store and Verizon Fios. Pricing will vary by retailer, but customers will have the choice of buying either individual episodes or the entire package.

You can pre-order the movies on iTunes here.

 

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.