(UPDATE – 04/10/15) – The Star Wars Digital Collection is now available in the iTunes Store for $89.99
Walt Disney announced on Monday that a digital re-release of all six episodes in the Star Wars series of films will launch as a collection on April 10. The films will be available via Apple’s iTunes and other digital outlets.
Each episode of the popular film series will come with bonus content, and will be viewable on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV devices.
“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.”
The films, and their bonus content, are:
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 (20th Century Fox)
- 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 Back1979”; 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.
Individual episodes of the film series are available via iTunes for $19.99 each. Collection pricing has not as yet been announced. The New York Times reports that rentals of the films will not be offered. Disney and Fox promise “never-before-seen” bonus features.
Monday’s announcement comes 10 days before a major “Star Wars” fan convention in Anaheim, Calif., and eight months before the release of the first new movie in the long-running series in a decade. “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” is set to debut in theaters on Dec. 18.
