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{{Short description|2011 fan-created film preservation of the original Star Wars trilogy films}}

{{good article}}

[[File:Harmy's Despecialized Edition.jpg|thumb|urightupright=1.35|Blu-ray cover]]

'''''Harmy's Despecialized Edition''''' is a series of [[Film preservation|fan restorations]] of the [[Star Wars Trilogy|Original ''Star Wars'' Trilogy]], which consists of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977), ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983). The edits are intended to reproduce their appearance as originally shown in cinemas. They were created by a team of ''Star Wars'' fans led by Petr "Harmy" Harmáček, an English teacher from [[Plzeň]], Czechia. The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy was released theatrically by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[Lucasfilm]] between 1977 and 1983. Subsequent releases on [[home video|home media]], such as the 1997 "Special Edition" releases, introduced significant [[Changes in Star Wars re-releases|changes]] to the films, including additional scenes, altered sound-effects, and new computer-generated imagery – these changes were met with a generally poor response from critics and fans. {{As of|2019}}, the films are no longer commercially available in their original theatrical releases.

'''''Star Wars: The Despecialized Edition''''', also known as '''''Harmy's Despecialized Edition''''', is a [[Fan edit|fan-created]] [[film preservation]] of the [[Star Wars original trilogy|original ''Star Wars'' trilogy]] films: ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977), ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983). It is a high-quality [[replica]] of the out-of-print theatrical versions, created by a team of ''Star Wars'' fans with the intention of preserving the films, culturally and historically. The project was led by Petr Harmáček, then an English teacher, from [[Plzeň]], [[Czech Republic]], under the online alias ''Harmy''.

Harmáček felt that altering the films in this way constituted "an act of cultural vandalism", and in 2010 was inspired to create his own series of [[fan edit]]s that restored the theatrical releases in [[high-definition video|high definition]]. With no experience in professional film editing, he taught himself as he went, using programs such as [[Avisynth]] and [[Adobe After Effects]]. Taking the 1993 [[LaserDisc]] releases as a guide and a majority of source material from the 2011 [[Blu-ray]] releases, Harmáček and a team of eight other fans constructed the edits over many thousands of hours of work. In 2011, one year after the project had begun, the first version of ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' was published online. Updated versions have been created in the years that followed.

The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy was created by [[George Lucas]] and released theatrically between 1977 and 1983. For the franchise's 20th anniversary in 1997, Lucas introduced noticeable [[Changes in Star Wars re-releases|changes within the films]] to address his dissatisfaction with the original cuts. These versions, promoted as the "Special Edition", included additional scenes, different dialogue, new [[sound effects]], and [[computer-generated imagery]]. These changes, along with more changes added in 2004 and 2011, were carried over into subsequent home video releases. {{As of|2025}}, the original theatrical releases are not commercially available, and have never been officially released in [[High-definition video|high definition]].

As a fan edit, ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' cannot be legally bought or sold, and is "to be shared among legal owners of the officially available releases only". Consequently, the films are only available via various [[BitTorrent]] trackers and through specialized rapid download programs using file sharing sites. Reaction to the project has been positive: Nathan Barry of ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'' praised the films as "an absolute joy to watch", while [[Gizmodo]] described them as "very, ''very'' good". Sean Hutchinson of Inverse placed ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' at number one on his list of the best ''Star Wars'' fan edits and called them "the perfect pre-1997 way to experience the saga".

The new changes were met with a negative response from critics and fans. Harmáček felt that changing the films in this way constituted "an act of cultural vandalism".<ref name=Hosie/> In 2010, he began to create a high-definition reconstruction of the films' theatrical versions. He and a team of eight other fans used the 2011 [[Blu-ray]] releases for the majority of material, the lower-definition 1993 [[LaserDisc]] releases as a guide to the original version, and various other sources. The first version was published online in 2011, and updated versions have been released since.

As a [[derivative work]], ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' cannot be legally bought or sold in the United States and other countries with treaties respecting US copyrights, and is "to be shared among legal owners of the officially available releases only".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Ultimate Introductory Guide to Harmy's Star Wars Trilogy Despecialized Editions |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLsvexWBVM8IYSGopKuSfsGk5YIgCwQWd23bqb5ryD4/pub |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222122728/https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLsvexWBVM8IYSGopKuSfsGk5YIgCwQWd23bqb5ryD4/pub |archive-date=2017-02-22 |access-date=2020-05-20 |website=docs.google.com}}</ref> Consequently, the films are mainly available via various file sharing methods. Reaction to the project has been mostly positive, with critics generally praising the quality and [[aesthetics]] of the work.

==Background==

{{Further|Changes in Star Wars re-releases}}

{{stack|[[File:Star Wars Logo.svg|thumb|''Star Wars'' logo|alt=The words "STAR WARS" written in a large, yellow, outline font against a black background]]}}

The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy was a Lucasfilm production released theatrically by [[20th Century Fox]] between 1977 and 1983, and was subsequently released on home media during the 1980s and 1990s. The films were distributed by [[CBS/Fox Video]] on several formats, such as [[VHS]], [[Betamax]], and LaserDisc.<ref name=Goldberg/> In 1997, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of ''Star Wars'', Lucas re-released new cuts of the trilogy to theaters, naming them the "Special Editions". The Specialpurpose Editionsof this release was to change the films to meet Lucas' ideal vision that he could not achieve during their original madeproductions. aA number of changes to the original releases, includingincluded additions such asof enhanced digital effects, previously unreleased scenes, altered dialogue, unreleased and newly recorded music by [[John Williams]], updated sound-effects by [[THX]] and [[Skywalker Sound]], and entirely new CGI sequences from [[Industrial Light & Magic]].<ref name=Miller/>

ReactionReactions to the new"Special cutsEdition" wasversions remain mixedcontroversial, with some commentators praising the picture and sound restoration, but criticising unnecessary additions such as a computer-generated [[Jabbacharacters, the Hutt]] in the first filmcreatures, and avehicles newas musicalwell numberas inalterations ''Return ofto the Jedi''essential story;<ref name=Gordon/> anmost notably a short alterationscene involving the bounty hunter [[Han shot first|Greedo shooting at Han Solo]] from the first film drew significant ire.<ref name="NYTimes2024" /><ref name=Hutchinson/> Further changes to the series were added to the [[DVD]] release in 2004 to establish continuity with the [[DVDStar Wars prequel trilogy|prequel trilogy]] and to the 2011 Blu-ray releases –from these changes also drew criticism2011. The final release of the originaltheatrical cuts was in 2006, when unrestored masters used for the 1993 "Definitive Collection" trilogy on LaserDisc were added as a DVD bonus feature to a limited run of– DVDs –some fans namedpejoratively termed this release "George's Original Unaltered Trilogy" (GOUT).<ref name=Smith/> In 2010, Lucas stated that bringing the original cuts to Blu-ray would be a "very, very expensive" process;<ref name=Brew/> {{As of|2017|lc=y}}, the films are still only widely available in their altered versions.<ref name="Hutchinson, Lee"/>

Despite a high demand and many online fan petitions, Lucasfilm has refused to release the theatrical versions of ''Star Wars'' in HD quality. In 2010, Lucas stated that bringing the original cuts to Blu-ray would be a "very, very expensive" process;<ref name=Brew/> {{As of|2025|lc=y}}, the films are still only widely available in their altered versions.<ref name="Hutchinson, Lee" />

As a result of these changes, a group of fans met on various Internet forums to construct higher quality cuts as [[fan edit]]s by using the available home media and blending the Special Edition DVDs with the LaserDisc transfers. One such edit for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' was created by ''Star Wars'' fan Adywan.<ref name=Hosie/>

==Production==

===Conception===

Petr Harmáček (known online by the alias "Harmy") had watched a dubbed version of the original cut of ''Star Wars'' at the age of six, and had then seen the Special Editions of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'' on their 1997 release.<ref name=Jun/> Although initially admiring them, he became disappointed when he learned how much the films had been changed retroactively; he argued that replacing the original effects with re-composited digital effects was "an act of cultural vandalism".<ref name=Hosie/> A fan of the original trilogy, he had written his undergraduate thesis on their cultural impact.<ref name=Eveleth/> After seeing a trailer for Adywan'sa cut of the DVD version of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' by a fan known as Adywan,{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} Harmáček was inspired to create a version of the film that "undid" the various post-1977 changes and restored the theatrical releases, in [[high-definition video|high-definition]].<ref name=Johncock/> He described his motivation as: "I wanted to be able to show people who haven't seen ''Star Wars'' yet, like my little brother or my girlfriend, the original, Oscar-winning version, but I didn't want to have to show it to them in bad quality."<ref name=Hosie/> Harmáček's edits were the first to recreate the theatrical releases in HD.<ref name=Jun/>

===Editing===

{{Quote box

|width=30em

|quote="Look at this awesome film that was made in the '70s&nbsp;... I want to show that to people. I wanted to show my brother. He was three when I started working and I showed it to him when he was five and he loved it."

|bgcolor=lightblue

|quote="Look at this awesome film that was made in the '70s&nbsp;... I want to show that to people. I wanted to show my brother. He was three when I started working and I showed it to him when he was five and he loved it."

|source=— Petr "Harmy" Harmáček explaining his motivation for creating the ''Despecialized Edition''<ref name=Eveleth/>

}}

Harmáček began creating his new cuts in 2010.<ref name=Brew/> At the time, he was working as an English teacher in Plzeň, Czechia, and had no professional experience with film editing.<ref name=Jun/> Instead, he taught himself programs such as [[Avisynth]] and [[Adobe After Effects]] as the project progressed, beginning with [[Photoshop]] skills that he had developed in college.<ref name=Miller/><ref name=Eveleth/> To remove the post-1977 changes, Harmáček was required to gowent through the film frame-by-frame, correcting colors and [[rotoscoping]].<ref name=Goldberg/><ref name=Wired/> Undoing some shots took only an hour, while others took hundreds. Lightsabers were color-corrected, shots of the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' cockpit were un-cropped, [[Boba Fett]]'s original voice was changedrestored, and CGI characters and backgrounds were removed.<ref name=Miller/> Most of the source material used for ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' was taken from the 2011 Blu-ray release, while other sequences were upscaled from the 2006 GOUT DVDs.<ref name=GeekDad/> To create the cuts, source material was taken from the 2011 Blu-ray releases, [[HDTV]] broadcasts of the 2004 DVDs, GOUT, digital broadcasts of the 1997 Special Edition, the 1993 LaserDiscs, digital transfers of a Spanish 35&nbsp;mm Kodak LPP and 70&nbsp;mm film cels, a 16&nbsp;mm print, and still images of the original matte paintings. Harmáček edited these sources together using programs such as Avisynth and Adobe After Effects.<ref name=Hosie/>

===Sources===

To help, Harmáček was assisted by a group of similarly-minded fans from the website OriginalTrilogy.com,<ref name=Smith/> whom he knew by their online aliases Dark Jedi, YouToo, Puggo, Team Negative 1, Belbucus, Hairy_Hen, CatBus and Laserschwert.<ref name=Miller/> In total, the project took thousands of hours of work between them.<ref name=Hosie/> In 2011, one year after the project had begun, the first version of ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' was published online;<ref name=Gizmodo/> new and updated versions have been created regularly in the five years that followed.<ref name=Hutchinson/> {{As of|2017|2}}, the most recent "despecialized" versions of ''Star Wars'', ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'' are v2.7, v2.0 and v2.5 respectively.<ref name=Eveleth/> As a result of the project, Harmáček was able to quit his teaching job and in 2015 was hired by [[UltraFlix]] to prepare and restore a library of 4K-encoded films for sale and rent. He has since joined UPP, a Prague-based VFX house, as a 2D digital compositor and worked on such projects as ''[[Blade Runner 2049]]'', ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'', and AMC's ''[[The Terror (TV series)|The Terror]]''.<ref name=Miller/><ref name=Brew/>

Most of the source material used for ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' was taken from Lucasfilm's official Blu-ray release of the films in 2011, while other sequences were upscaled from previous home video releases.

These include:

* The 2-disc "Limited Edition" DVD release from 2006. This set contains a low resolution copy of the theatrical cuts on a bonus disc. Harmy refers to this disc as "George's Original Unaltered Trilogy" (GOUT).<ref name=GeekDad/>

* The official trilogy on DVD box set from 2004, primarily the [[HDTV]] broadcasts of those versions of the films.

* The 1997 "Special Edition" re-releases, most notably digital broadcasts of those cuts along with their LaserDisc releases.

* The 1993 LaserDisc "Definitive Collection" box set.

* Digital transfers of a Spanish 35&nbsp;mm Kodak LPP and 70&nbsp;mm film cels, a 16&nbsp;mm print.

* A collection of still images of the original matte paintings.

Harmáček edited these sources together using programs such as Avisynth and Adobe After Effects.<ref name=Hosie/>

To help, Harmáček was assisted by a group of similarlylike-minded fans from the website OriginalTrilogy.com,<ref name=Smith/> whom he knew by their online aliases Dark Jedi, YouToo, Puggo, Team Negative 1, Belbucus, Hairy_Hen, CatBus and Laserschwert.<ref name=Miller/> In total, they estimated that the project took thousands of hours of work between them.<ref name=Hosie/> In 2011, one year after the project had begun, the first version of ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' was published online;<ref name=Gizmodo/> new and updated versions have beenwere created regularly in the five years that followed.<ref name=Hutchinson/> {{As of|20172021|210}}, the most recent "despecialized" versions of ''Star Wars'', ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'' are v2.7, v2.0 and v2v3.51 respectively.<ref name=Eveleth/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Harmy's RETURN OF THE JEDI Despecialized Edition HD - V2.5 - AVCHD DVD9 & NTSC DVD5 (Released) - Original Trilogy |url=https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-RETURN-OF-THE-JEDI-Despecialized-Edition-HD-V2-5-AVCHD-DVD9-and-NTSC-DVD5-Released/id/12905 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021182355/https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-RETURN-OF-THE-JEDI-Despecialized-Edition-HD-V2-5-AVCHD-DVD9-and-NTSC-DVD5-Released/id/12905 |archive-date=2021-10-21 |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=originaltrilogy.com}}</ref> As a result of the project, Harmáček was able to quit his teaching job and in 2015 was hired by [[UltraFlix]] to prepare and restore a library of 4K-encoded films for sale and rent. He has since joined UPP, a Prague-based VFX house, as a 2D digital compositor and worked on such projects as ''[[Blade Runner 2049]]'', ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'', and AMC's ''[[The Terror (TV series)|The Terror]]''.<ref name=Miller/><ref name=Brew/>

===Legality===

The legality of downloading ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' is contentious.<ref name=Goldberg/> As a fan edit, the cut cannot be legally bought or sold, and treads a line between [[Fair Use|fair use]] and copyright infringement.<ref name=Broughall/> OriginalTrilogy.com states that the edits are "made for culturally historical and educational purposes" and that they are "to be shared among legal owners of the officially available releases only".<ref name=Brew/> Consequently, the films are only available via various [[BitTorrent]] trackers and through specialized rapid download programs using file sharing sites.<ref name=Gordon/><ref name=Machkovech/> Harmáček himself remarked: "I'm convinced that 99% of people who download this already bought ''Star Wars'' 10 times over on DVD."<ref name=Eveleth/> {{As of|2015|112025}}, he had received no legal challenge from [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|The Walt Disney Studios]], the owner of [[Lucasfilm]] and [[20th Century Studios]], over the ''Despecialized Edition''.<ref name=Hosie/>

==Translated versions==

In 2013, Italian blogger "Leo", from the blog DoppiaggiItalioti.it – which discusses Italian adaptations of foreign films, both satirizing dubbing and translation errors and endorsing good dubs – worked on an [[Italian language|Italian-language]] version of ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' for the original ''Star Wars'' movie, together with other people, and with Harmáček's permission.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-06-17 |title=Doppiaggi Italioti presenta l'originale Guerre stellari (che non esiste più) |url=https://doppiaggiitalioti.com/2013/06/17/doppiaggi-italioti-introduce-loriginale-guerre-stellari/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624114021/https://doppiaggiitalioti.com/2013/06/17/doppiaggi-italioti-introduce-loriginale-guerre-stellari/ |archive-date=2021-06-24 |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Doppiaggi italioti |language=it-IT}}</ref> He used original 35mm prints of the localized Italian-language edition, as well as a rare 1991 VHS copy, to reproduce the [[Star Wars opening crawl|opening crawl]], subtitles, and end credits (even preserving some typos) of the film, as they were seen in Italian theaters. This version is no longer available, since it is based on an outdated version of Harmáček's work, although an update to the blog post assures that when a "definitive" edition is released, the localization will be adapted to that one. The update also refers to another "multilanguage" version of the ''Despecialized Edition'', featuring several audio tracks – the Italian one is taken from the Italian version of the 2006 limited edition DVD – over the original English-language video.

The project also restored the original Italian trailer for the film, which Leo produced using the video from the original US trailer and audio from low-definition copies, as well as completely remaking the text sections.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-06-29 |title=Trailer dell'edizione despecializzata di Guerre Stellari (1977) |url=https://doppiaggiitalioti.com/2013/06/29/trailer-delledizione-despecializzata-di-guerre-stellari-1977/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412153653/https://doppiaggiitalioti.com/2013/06/29/trailer-delledizione-despecializzata-di-guerre-stellari-1977/ |archive-date=2021-04-12 |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Doppiaggi italioti |language=it-IT}}</ref>

== Team Negative 1, Project 4K77, and subsequent restorations ==

{{Third-party|section|date=November 2023}}

Although Harmy's Despecialized Editions have been widely praised, some have remarked that they are still technically reconstructions using digital effects and upscaling of low quality sources,<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDz8VMMJU6I&t=767s |title=Introducing the Despecialized Edition and Its Sources |date=2021-03-11 |type=Motion Picture |language=en |publisher=Harmáček, Petr |place=Czech Republic |access-date=2023-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725204203/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDz8VMMJU6I&t=767s |archive-date=2023-07-25 |url-status=live |people=Harmáček, Petr (Director)}}</ref> rather than truly unaltered preservations. This led to subsequent attempts at improvement, such as the ''Silver Screen Edition''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dreamaster |date=2016-04-22 |title=Info: Improving Silver Screen Edition colors on the cheap |url=https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Info-Improving-Silver-Screen-Edition-colors-on-the-cheap/id/49565 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725204204/https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Info-Improving-Silver-Screen-Edition-colors-on-the-cheap/id/49565 |archive-date=2023-07-25 |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Original Trilogy.com}}</ref> and ''Skywalker Edition.''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collipso |date=2018-09-18 |title=**4K77** - Released - Original Trilogy |url=https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/4K77-Released/id/60815/page/17#1241141 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725204203/https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/4K77-Released/id/60815/page/17#1241141 |archive-date=2023-07-25 |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Original Trilogy.com}}</ref>

One of these efforts, ''Project 4K77,'' is a fan project to scan and restore original 35mm prints of ''Star Wars'' from 1977.<ref name="NYTimes2024" /> The project name refers to the [[4K resolution]] used and the film's release year of 1977.<ref name="NYTimes2024" /> In 2016, a few 35mm prints were located and donated to a group of fans called "Team Negative 1" (TN1), who scanned these prints at 4K resolution. TN1 released the film online in May 2018, first of the restored video came from a single print that was dubbed in Spanish, with the remainder from an alternate print and some frames upscaled from the official Lucasfilm Blu-ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project 4K77 {{!}} The Star Wars Trilogy |url=https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k77/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028162528/https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k77/ |archive-date=2020-10-28 |access-date=2020-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>

TN1 followed ''4K77'' with ''Project 4K83'', based on an original 35mm print of ''Return of the Jedi'' (released in 1983) that was discovered and scanned in 4K.<ref name="NYTimes2024" /> According to their website, this print required little cleanup, and the restoration was released in October 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project 4K83 {{!}} The Star Wars Trilogy |url=https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k83/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028162547/https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k83/ |archive-date=2020-10-28 |access-date=2020-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> TN1 released a subsequent improved V2.0 of this restoration in 2023, which contains more "theatrically accurate" colors due to a technical error when encoding the original release.

''Project 4K80'', a restoration of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980),<ref name="NYTimes2024" /> was begun by TN1 in 2020, reporting that although they have multiple prints, some were faded and they required substantially more cleanup, with a projected two-year time frame to complete.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project 4K80 {{!}} The Star Wars Trilogy |url=https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k80/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001055812/https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/project-4k80/ |archive-date=2020-10-01 |access-date=2020-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> It was released in February 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-12 |title=4K80 Is Finally Done! {{!}} The Star Wars Trilogy |url=https://www.thestarwarstrilogy.com/2024/02/12/4k80-is-finally-done/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception==

Reaction to ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'' has been almost universally positive. Writing for ''[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]'', Sean Hutchinson placed it at number one on his list of the best ''Star Wars'' fan edits, and described it as "the perfect pre-1997 way to experience the saga"."<ref name=Hutchinson/> Whitson Gordon of ''[[Lifehacker]]'' called the edits "the best version of ''Star Wars'' you can watch"," and named them "the version of ''Star Wars'' we've all been clamoring for the last 20 years".<ref name=Gordon/> Similarly, Nathan Barry of ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'' praised the films as "an absolute joy to watch",<ref name=Wired/> while ''[[Gizmodo]]'' described them as "very, ''very'' good".<ref name=Gizmodo/> In an article listing ''[[Ars Technica]]''{{'}}s favorite ''Star Wars'' items, Sam Machkovech selected ''Harmy's Despecialized Edition'', calling it "a treat"."<ref name=Machkovech/>

==References==

{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Brew">{{Cite web |last=Brew |first=Simon |date=May 20, 2015 |title=Star Wars: Fan creates 'despecialized' original trilogy |url=http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/star-wars/246390/star-wars-fan-creates-despecialized-original-trilogy|title=Star Wars: Fan creates 'despecialized' original trilogy|lasturl-status=Brew|first=Simon|date=Maylive 20, 2015|publisher=[[Den of Geek]]|___location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523025000/http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/star-wars/246390/star-wars-fan-creates-despecialized-original-trilogy |archive-date=May 23, 2015|url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 2016 |publisher=[[Den of Geek]] |___location=London}}</ref>

<ref name="Broughall">{{Cite web |last=Broughall |first=Nick |date=December 18, 2015 |title=Awakening the Force in my son was easier with the Harmy Despecialized Editions |url=http://www.techradar.com/news/video/awakening-the-force-in-my-son-was-easier-with-the-harmy-despecialized-editions-1311467 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120160859/http://www.techradar.com/news/video/awakening-the-force-in-my-son-was-easier-with-the-harmy-despecialized-editions-1311467 |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=January 27, 2016 |publisher=[[TechRadar]]}}</ref>

<ref name=Broughall"Eveleth">{{Cite webjournal |last=Eveleth |first=Rose |author-link=Rose Eveleth |date=August 27, 2014 |title=The Star Wars George Lucas Doesn't Want You To See |url=httphttps://www.techradartheatlantic.com/newstechnology/videoarchive/2014/08/awakening-the-forcestar-inwars-mygeorge-sonlucas-wasdoesnt-easierwant-withyou-theto-harmy-despecialized-editions-1311467see/379184/ |titleurl-status=Awakening the Force in my son was easier with the Harmy Despecialized Editionslive |lastjournal=Broughall[[The |first=NickAtlantic]] |date___location=December 18[[Washington, 2015D.C.]] |publisher=[[TechRadarAtlantic Media|Atlantic]] |___locationissn=1072-7825 |oclc=783915762 |archive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6eqZ032MK?url=web/20140828030602/http://www.techradartheatlantic.com/newstechnology/videoarchive/2014/08/awakening-the-forcestar-inwars-mygeorge-sonlucas-wasdoesnt-easierwant-withyou-theto-harmy-despecialized-editions-1311467see/379184/ |archive-date=JanuaryAugust 2728, 2016 |url-status=live2014 |access-date=JanuaryMarch 2720, 2016 |df= }}</ref>

<ref name=Eveleth"GeekDad">{{Cite journalweb |last1last=EvelethBarry |first1first=RoseNathan |date=AugustMay 272, 2014|editor1-last=|editor1-first=2013 |title=The Star Wars George– LucasThe Doesn'tFandom WantEditors You– ToA Real New Hope See|url=httpshttp://www.theatlanticgeekdad.com/technology2013/archive05/2014/08/the-star-wars-georgefandom-lucas-doesnt-want-you-to-see/379184editors/ |url-status=live|journal=[[Thedead Atlantic]]|___location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher=[[Atlantic Media|Atlantic]]|issn=1072-7825|oclc=783915762|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2014082803060220130505032247/http://www.theatlanticgeekdad.com/technology2013/archive05/2014/08/the-star-wars-georgefandom-lucas-doesnt-want-you-to-see/379184/editors |archive-date=AugustMay 285, 20142013 |access-date=MarchJanuary 2027, 2016 |publisher=[[GeekDad]]}}</ref>

<ref name=GeekDad"Gizmodo">{{Cite web |urldate=http://geekdad.com/2013/05/star-wars-fandom-editors/December 18, 2015 |title=StarTwo WarsEntirely –Different TheWays Fandomto EditorsWatch –the AOriginal RealStar NewWars Hope|lasturl=Barryhttp://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/12/two-entirely-different-ways-to-watch-the-original-star-wars/ |firsturl-status=Nathan|date=Maydead 2, 2013|publisher=[[GeekDad]]|___location=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2013050503224720151221100315/http://geekdadwww.comgizmodo.co.uk/20132015/0512/startwo-warsentirely-fandomdifferent-editorsways-to-watch-the-original-star-wars/ |archive-date=MayDecember 521, 2013|url-status=live2015 |access-date=January 27, 2016 |publisher=[[Gizmodo]] |___location=Australia}}</ref>

<ref name=Gizmodo"Goldberg">{{Cite web |urllast=http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/Goldberg |first=Matt |date=December 14, 2015/12/two-entirely-different-ways-to-watch-the-original-star-wars/ |title=TwoYes, Entirelyan DifferentHD WaysVersion to Watchof the OriginalUnaltered 'Star Wars|last=|first=|date=December' 18,Original Trilogy Lurks Online 2015|publisherurl=[[Gizmodo]]https://collider.com/star-wars-original-versions-hd-video/ |___locationurl-status=Australialive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2015122110031520151221205606/http://wwwcollider.gizmodo.co.ukcom/2015/12/twostar-entirelywars-differentoriginal-waysversions-tohd-watch-the-original-star-warsvideo/ |archive-date=December 21, 2015|url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 2016 |publisher=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref>

<ref name=Goldberg"Gordon">{{Cite web |urllast=http://collider.com/star-wars-original-versions-hd-video/Gordon |titlefirst=Yes,Whitston an|date=December HD14, Version2015 of|title=Watch the UnalteredOriginal 'Star Wars' Original Trilogy LurksAs Online|last=Goldberg|first=Matt|date=DecemberIt 14,Was Before George Lucas Screwed It Up 2015|publisherurl=[[Colliderhttp://lifehacker.com/watch-the-original-star-wars-trilogy-as-it-was-before-g-1747927284 (website)|Collider]]|___locationurl-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2015122120560620151214232358/http://colliderlifehacker.com/watch-the-original-star-wars-originaltrilogy-versionsas-hdit-video/was-before-g-1747927284 |archive-date=December 2114, 2015|url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 20162015 |publisher=[[Lifehacker]]}}</ref>

<ref name=Gordon"Hosie">{{Cite webjournal |last=Hosie |first=Ewen |date=November 17, 2015 |title='Star Wars: Despecialized Edition' Restores the Original, Unedited Trilogy |url=httphttps://lifehackerwww.vice.com/watch-the-original-en/article/star-wars-trilogydespecialized-asedition-itremoves-wasalterations-beforeto-gthe-1747927284original-trilogy/ |titleurl-status=Watch the Originallive Star Wars Trilogy As It Was Before George Lucas Screwed It Up|lastjournal=Gordon[[Vice (magazine)|first=WhitstonVice]] |date___location=DecemberNew 14,York City 2015|publisherissn=[[Lifehacker]]1077-6788 |___locationoclc=30856250 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2015121423235820151118153023/http://lifehackermotherboard.vice.com/watch-the-original-read/star-wars-trilogydespecialized-asedition-itremoves-wasalterations-beforeto-gthe-1747927284original-trilogy |archive-date=DecemberNovember 1418, 2015|url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 20152016}}</ref>

<ref name=Hosie"Hutchinson">{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Sean |date=January 22, 2016 |title=These Are the 5 Best 'Star Wars' Fan Edits |url=httphttps://motherboardwww.viceinverse.com/readarticle/star10533-warsthese-despecializedare-editionthe-removes5-alterationsbest-tostar-thewars-originalfan-trilogy|title='Star Wars: Despecialized Edition'edits Restores the Original, Unedited Trilogy|lasturl-status=Hosie|first=Ewen|date=November 17,dead 2015|journal=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|publisher= |___location=New York City|issn=1077-6788|oclc=30856250|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2015111815302320160213060617/httphttps://motherboardwww.viceinverse.com/readarticle/star10533-warsthese-despecializedare-editionthe-removes5-alterationsbest-tostar-thewars-originalfan-trilogyedits |archive-date=NovemberFebruary 1813, 2015|url-status=live2016 |access-date=January 27, 2016 |publisher=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |___location=San Francisco}}</ref>

<ref name="Hutchinson, Lee">{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Lee |date=May 10, 2014 |title=Could Disney finally give us the remastered, unedited Star Wars we want? |url=https://www.inversearstechnica.com/articlegadgets/105332014/05/could-thesedisney-arefinally-give-us-the-5remastered-bestunedited-star-wars-fanwe-editswant/ |titleurl-status=These Are the 5 Best 'Star Wars' Fan Edits |last=Hutchinson |first=Sean |date=January 22, 2016 |publisher=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |___location=San Franciscolive |archive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6eqWk5IGq?url=httpsweb/20140511191954/http://www.inversearstechnica.com/articlegadgets/105332014/05/could-disney-finally-thesegive-areus-the-5remastered-bestunedited-star-wars-fanwe-editswant/ |archive-date=JanuaryMay 2711, 2016 |url-status=live2014 |access-date=JanuaryApril 2719, 2016 |dfpublisher=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>

<ref name="Johncock">{{Cite web |urllast=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/benjamin-johncock/on-star-wars-the-craft-of_b_8838360.htmlJohncock |first=Benjamin |date=December 21, 2015 |title=On Star Wars, The Craft of Writing and What Novelists Can Learn From 'The Force Awakens' |lasturl=Johncockhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/benjamin-johncock/on-star-wars-the-craft-of_b_8838360.html |first=Benjamin |date=December 21, 2015 |website=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher= |___locationurl-status=live |archive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6eqZZPmUg?url=web/20161021214734/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/benjamin-johncock/on-star-wars-the-craft-of_b_8838360.html |archive-date=JanuaryOctober 2721, 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 2016 |dfwebsite=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>

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<ref name="Jun">{{Cite web |last=Jun |first=Dominik |date=November 8, 2014 |title=The Czech guerilla restorationist battling to 'save Star Wars' |url=http://www.radio.cz/en/section/special/the-czech-guerilla-restorationist-battling-to-save-star-wars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113070333/http://radio.cz/en/section/special/the-czech-guerilla-restorationist-battling-to-save-star-wars |archive-date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=April 25, 2016 |publisher=[[Radio Prague]] |___location=Prague}}</ref>

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<ref name=Wired"NYTimes2024">{{Cite webnews |last=Deb |first=Sopan |date=May 3, 2024 |title=How Rebel 'Star Wars' Fans Saved the Original Movies |url=https://www.wirednytimes.com/20132024/0205/03/arts/star-wars-fandomfilms-editors/|title=Star Warsgeorge-lucas.html – The Fandom Editors|lasturl-status=Barry|first=Nathan|date=Februarylive 12, 2013|website=[[Wired (website)|Wired]]|publisher=|___location=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2015103116375520240503190135/httphttps://www.wirednytimes.com/20132024/0205/03/arts/star-wars-fandomfilms-editors/george-lucas.html |archive-date=OctoberMay 313, 2015|url-status=live2024 |access-date=JanuaryMay 274, 20162024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |quote=George Lucas wants them to fade into oblivion. But some fans spent more than a decade digitally restoring the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, preserving the movies as they were shown in theaters.}}</ref>

}}

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==External links==

*{{YouTube|user=harmacek|Harmy}}

*{{Facebook|despecialized|''Star Wars'' Trilogy Despecialized Edition}}

*[https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-Despecialized-Star-Wars-1977-Color-Adjustment-Project-for-v27-released/id/48257 ''Star Wars'' 1977 - Despecialized Edition - Latest Changes]

*[https://www.looper.com/211938/why-watching-the-best-version-of-star-wars-is-actually-illegal/ Why watching the best version of Star Wars is actually illegal] via [[Looper (website)|Looper]]

*{{IMDb title|id=5639360|title=Star Wars: Despecialized Edition Remastered V2.5, Introducing the Sources}}

{{Non-canon Star Wars}}

{{Italic title}}

[[Category:2010s2011 independent films]]

[[Category:2011 films]]

[[Category:AlternateAlternative versions of films]]

[[Category:Fan films based on Star Wars]]

[[Category:Unofficial adaptations]]

[[Category:2010s American films]]