Horrors! Star Wars series is indeed coming to Blu Ray in September of 2011. Will someone please think of the children?!

Yes, yes, I know... Lucas raped your childhood, the original versions of the first trilogy aren't included, Jar Jar sucks, Ewoks are lame, Jake Lloyd can't act, Natalie Portman is kinda stiff, Greedo shoots first, midichlorians are dumb, blah blah blah. Don't want it? Don't buy it. I'll be at home, showing my (then) four-year old the Star Wars series for the first time. I'm still debating on what order to screen them. I'd love to watch them ala Stephen King's It: The Phantom Menace, A New Hope, Attack of the Clones, The Empire Strikes Back, Revenge of the Sith, Return of the Jedi. But I'm not sure that a four year old would get the emotional coherency (it allows for chronological order while preserving the big plot twist for as long as possible). I'll probably just play it safe and do it the old-fashioned way (VI, V, and VI, then I, II, and III). The most promising idea behind the Blu Ray set can be seen in the trailer above. Even as a prequel defender, I've always wished that Lucas made more of an effort to make the new films look more similar to the original trilogy. That seems to be the goal this time around, with the older films looking as shiny and new as the prequel trilogy. Anyway, read the official press release after the jump.

Scott Mendelson

"Pre-order Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray Now!

January 6, 2011

The most anticipated Blu-ray release ever -- the Star Wars Saga -- emerges from light speed this September 2011. For the first time, all six of George Lucas' epic films (Episodes I-VI) are united in one complete set. Fans worldwide are able to pre-order now with online retailers.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:

• Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)
• Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)
• Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for $139.99 US/$179.99 CAN and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for $69.99 US/89.99 CAN. Pricing for each set will vary by international territory.

Flanked by a legion of his finest Imperial stormtroopers, Darth Vader himself joined Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce the release, vowing "The forces of the Empire will be at your disposal to assure the success of this endeavor."

"The Star Wars Saga is the most anticipated Blu-ray collection since the launch of the high-def format," Dunn said. "The epic franchise pioneered sound and visual presentation in theaters and is perfectly suited to do it again in the home, with a viewing experience only possible with Blu-ray."

"With all six episodes available for the first time in one collection, this is a great way for families and home audiences to experience the complete Saga from start to finish," said Doug Yates, Vice President of Marketing, Online, Distribution, Lucasfilm Ltd. "And with the quality of high-definition, Blu-ray provides the most immersive home experience possible."

"The Star Wars franchise has been the most anticipated Blu-ray release by Amazon's customers," said Bill Carr, Vice President of Music and Video at Amazon.com. "We think that Star Wars will be incredibly popular with our customers, and we expect pre-orders to be very strong."

Pre-order Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets at Amazon.com today!"