Mark your calendars.

September 2011 is the month that will see one of the most beloved franchises in cinema history finally get its long deserved high-def treatment. 20^th Century Fox has announced that three separate Blu-ray sets will be available to cater to (almost) everyone’s needs: there will be a trilogy of the original films (EPISODE IV-VI), a prequel trilogy including EPISODE I-III, and finally a nine-disc mega set including all six films plus three discs of exclusive bonus content.

While technical specs and information about the bonus material have been kept under wraps, this hasn’t stopped fans from hypothesizing what versions of the films as well as what bonus material will be included. It is speculated the original, unaltered versions of the original trilogy will NOT be included due to financial complications and the fact that the original film elements were used to create the 1997 Special Editions of the films (this still boggles my mind).

For those counting at home, I am now getting onto my high horse. I’m all for a director changing his/her films. George Lucas can CGI Jar Jar Binks into THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and I wouldn’t bat an eye. All he needs to do is include the original editions as well, so that fans can watch whatever version they prefer. Lucas, who in a hilarious turn is against the colorization of black and white films, has “fixed” his own films over and over again, much to the chagrin of his fanbase. I don’t care if Lucas is doing it for continuity’s sake; you can’t just put Hayden Christensen in RETURN OF THE JEDI and expect fans to be happy when no other version of the film is made available.

Although it’s a pipe dream, I hope that all the versions of the films are included in the new Blu-ray set. If not, I will be closing my eyes when Greedo shoots first.

What are your thoughts on the Blu-ray announcement? What versions of the film do you want included?