Why George Lucas Ignored Fan Complaints About His Star Wars Changes

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George Lucas is unquestionably a visionary filmmaker. When he brought "Star Wars" to the world in 1977, it literally changed cinema forever. It was a game-changer that gave rise to one of the most beloved motion picture properties ever. But the version of "Episode IV — A New Hope" that played in theaters back then wasn't the one that's widely available now. 

Somewhat infamously, Lucas made some big changes to the original "Star Wars" trilogy for the Special Editions, adding extra footage and updated visual effects to "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi" for the 1997 theatrical re-release. And while those changes continue to annoy fans, Lucas has largely ignored the complaints. As he told The Associated Press in 2004 (via Today):

"The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it. [...] I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I'm the one who has to take responsibility for it."

Even in 2004, pointing people towards a VHS copy was an outdated idea. Today? It's downright archaic. Still, there are fans who still want the version of "A New Hope" where Han (Harrison Ford) shot first in his legendary showdown with Greedo. Meanwhile, Lucas has contended that Han never shot first and that Greedo simply failed to hit him from across a table, making the whole situation all the more maddening for hardcore fans.

"I'm the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they're going to throw rocks at me, they're going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished," George Lucas added.

To Lucas' point, "Star Wars" is his baby, and he's ultimately always been the one who's had to live with it. Clearly, he wasn't happy with the original version, no matter how successful it was. That's probably why Lucas initially dismissed the success of "Star Wars" after it opened. "A New Hope" might've taken the world's breath away, but all he saw were its flaws. In the same interview, Lucas emphasized that he was deeply unhappy with "A New Hope" in its original form:

"If you read any interviews for about an eight- or nine-year period there, it was all about how disappointed I was and how unhappy I was and what a dismal experience it was. You know, it's too bad you need to get kind of half a job done and never get to finish it. So, this was my chance to finish it."

So, basically, the movie that people enjoyed for 20 years was the filmmaker's unfinished baby, and, in some ways, it's hard to argue against the results. The "Star Wars" Special Editions turned generational nostalgia into gold at the box office, with the re-releases becoming massive hits, fan gripes be damned. All the same, a great many fans remain disappointed that Lucas was very against both versions of the trilogy co-existing. It became a "my way or the highway" situation, and a contentious one at that.

For years, fans have practically begged for a way to watch the original, unaltered "Star Wars" trilogy. They want to see "Return of the Jedi" without the out of place "Jedi Rocks" song at Jabba's palace or "A New Hope" without Han Solo interacting with Jabba the Hutt. But, unless those fans are willing to resort to piracy or grey market, fan-made Blu-rays, they remain largely unavailable.

For George Lucas, that's the way he wants it. In that AP interview, the director explained that the movies are as they exist because they're his movies. He doesn't much care what fans think, good or bad. Here's what he had to say about it:

"Not really. The movies are what the movies are. [...] The thing about science fiction fans and 'Star Wars' fans is they're very independent-thinking people. They all think outside the box, but they all have very strong ideas about what should happen, and they think it should be their way. Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way."

Fans can love or hate Lucas for this, but the man's vision has often proved valuable. For all its flaws, "The Phantom Menace created a new generation of "Star Wars" fans who love Lucas' prequel trilogy at large despite the complaints from older fans. Whether or not the Special Editions ever get that same revisionist treatment is sort of irrelevant.

The good news is that the original version of "Star Wars" is returning to theaters for its 50th anniversary. Disney, almost certainly against Lucas' wishes, may finally be giving a large section of the fanbase what they want.

You can grab the "Star Wars" trilogy on Blu-ray from Amazon.