New Star Wars Blu-rays Need New Bonus Features

Star Wars Episode 1-7 and Rogue One are going to be released on 4K Blu-ray at the end of the month. Unlike the Blu-ray rerelease from six months ago, each movie will include a Blu-ray disc with bonus features. The two Disney movies will have the same bonus features from their previous releases, and it seems like six Lucas films will have the exact same features that were included with the 2015 digital releases. Most of them were created specifically for that release and have never been released on disc. "The Phantom Menace" documentary "The Beginning", which was created for the 2001 DVD, will be on Blu-ray for the first time too.

I wish the 4K Blu-rays of the first six movies would have exclusive bonus features included that would make them worth buying immediately. Physical media is supposedly dying out, but there are still people (including me) who prefer physical to streaming. I realize that Lucasfilm probably cleaned out the archives for the three bonus feature Blu-rays included in the Complete Saga sets, but there are still bonus features that have never been released on Blu-ray. They may not be in the best quality, but fans will probably understand that they can't be perfect and will just be happy to have them on disc.

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy


"The Empire of Dreams" is a documentary first included with the 2004 release of the Original Trilogy on DVD. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Disney+, but has never been on Blu-ray.

From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga


"From Star Wars to Jedi is a 1983 documentary on the making of "Return of the Jedi" that was released on VHS multiple times from 1986-1995. Since then, it has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray, only in segments on the official Star Wars YouTube channel.

R2-D2: Beneath the Dome


"R2-D2: Beneath the Dome is a 2001 mockumentary short originally created for StarWars.com staring R2-D2 in a fictionalized life story of the droid from the Star Wars film series." A preview of it was included on the 2002 Attack of the Clones DVD, and the entire special was released on a DVD that was sold exclusively in certain stores, including Best Buy.

Leonard Maltin Interviews George Lucas




Pre-dating DVD bonus features, these three interviews were included on the 1995 Original Trilogy THX mastered VHS set before each movie.

Other VHS Bonus Features
The 1997 Special Edition trilogy VHSs features making-of bonus features on each tape, and the Special Collector's Set included all features together on one tape titled "The Making of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition". "The Phantom Menace" Widescreen VHS featured a documentary titled "Filmmaking Has Turned A Corner." Neither of those have ever officially been digitized and included on disc or uploaded to the official Star Wars YouTube.

Star Wars Spoofs 2




"The Complete Saga" Blu-ray set featured a "documentary" of Star Wars parodies, spoofs, and comedic Star Wars themed segments. A lot more have come out on TV and YouTube in the nine years since that feature was created, and it would be great to see another feature of them.

Star Wars: Forces of Destiny





In 2017 & 2018, The Disney Channel had a series of animated shorts called "Star Wars: Forces of Destiny". The shorts were then edited into four episodes. The first episode was included on a special DVD in 2017 attached to rereleases of the Star Wars Blu-rays. The rest have not been released on disc. They should get their own stand alone release, but they could also be included as bonus features.