George Lucas Says His Changes to The Original Star Wars Trilogy Were Justified as Movies Always Get 'Yanked Out of Your Hands' For Release

Star Wars creator George Lucas has defended his frequent tweaks to the series' original movies, while acknowledging that "a lot of people got upset" about the changes.

Lucas' numerous updates to the classic Star Wars trilogy have become a legendary source of debate for fans, with each of Lucas' many, many subsequent alterations sparking discussion on whether they were advisable or necessary.

The trilogy's 1997 Special Edition release, which made major alterations and added an array of new CGI effects, was mostly well-received (with one notable exception we'll get to below). But Lucas has continued to tinker with the movies in the years since.

Further changes were made to the movies for their DVD release in 2004, and again for their Blu-ray launch in 2011. More minor adjustments were even made for their Disney+ launch in 2019, over 40 years on from their original debut.

Some of these changes are unlikely to register to casual viewers, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi's shout to scare off the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine (which was changed for the 2004 DVD release, and then again for the 2011 Blu-ray).

In Gaming, Tom Phillips puts this story at the center of the day: Star Wars creator George Lucas has defended his frequent tweaks to the series' original movies, while acknowledging that "a lot of people got upset" about the changes. FlexChar is surfacing it because it is driving searches and conversation right now.