In a galaxy not so far away, a group of rebel fans known as Team Negative One have completed their ambitious project to restore the original “Star Wars” trilogy in 4K, preserving the films as they were shown in theaters before George Lucas made alterations.
The controversy over whether Han shot first in the iconic scene with Greedo at the Mos Eisley Cantina has been a point of contention for fans ever since Lucas released altered “special editions” of the films in 1997. Despite Lucas’s insistence that the new versions are the definitive ones, fans like Robert Williams have taken it upon themselves to restore the original films, including the controversial scene in question.
Williams and his team have spent over a decade collecting 35-millimeter prints of the original movies and painstakingly restoring them frame by frame. Their unauthorized restorations, known as Project 4K, have garnered attention from fans and preservationists who believe that the public has a right to view art in its original form.
While Lucas has defended his changes as fulfilling his vision for the films, fans argue that the original versions should also be made available for viewing. Williams and his team have completed the restoration of “The Empire Strikes Back” in 4K, with plans to continue their work on other films in the franchise.
Despite the legal gray area surrounding their project, Williams and his fellow fans remain dedicated to preserving the original “Star Wars” trilogy for future generations to enjoy. Their work can be found on forums like Original Trilogy and archive.org, where fans can download the restored films and experience them as they were meant to be seen.
