George Lucas defends Star Wars changes across multiple releases

According to the source, there were major changes in the 1997 Special Edition, followed by more edits for the 2004 DVD release, the 2011 Blu-ray, and Disney+ in 2019.
The source also mentions controversial edits tying the trilogy to the prequels, including Hayden Christensen as Anakin’s Force ghost and the removal of Anakin Skywalker’s eyebrows in Return of the Jedi.

What happened

George Lucas has once again defended his revisions to the original Star Wars trilogy. In the quoted remarks, he says that once films are finished, they are often no longer fully in the creator’s hands because they get “yanked out of your hands” before release. According to IGN, Lucas also acknowledged that many people were upset about the changes.

The source places those comments against a long history of re-releases. The original trilogy got a major overhaul in 1997 with the Special Edition, which added CGI effects among other changes. Further edits followed for the 2004 DVD release and the 2011 Blu-ray release.

Small adjustments were also made for the Disney+ release in 2019. The source cites technical fixes such as correcting color issues and improving matte backgrounds, along with a change to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s shout meant to scare off Tusken Raiders.

Some of the criticism focused on edits that explicitly tied the original trilogy to the prequels. The source mentions the digital removal of Anakin Skywalker’s eyebrows in Return of the Jedi and the addition of Hayden Christensen as Anakin’s Force ghost.

Timeline

1997 — The original Star Wars trilogy gets the Special Edition with major changes and added CGI.
2004 — More changes are made for the DVD release.
2011 — The Blu-ray version includes further edits.
2019 — Disney+ gets additional small corrections and technical fixes.

Background

The debate centers on how much control a creator retains over a film after release. In this case, it concerns a series of re-releases of the original Star Wars films across several decades and formats: theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming.

The source mentions both content and technical changes. Alongside visual fixes and color restoration, it also points to edits that, according to CBS Sunday Morning’s description, connect the films to the prequel trilogy, including the addition of Hayden Christensen as a Force ghost and the alteration of Anakin in Return of the Jedi.