'Star Wars' To Be Force On DVD

The Force will be with you — on DVD in September.

The original three films in the "Star Wars" series, which are among the most-anticipated films still unavailable in the digital format that is quickly replacing videotapes, will be released on Sept. 21 in North America, LucasFilm Ltd. and 20th Century Fox announced Tuesday.

International release dates were to be revealed later.

The original "Star Wars" movie from 1977 — now titled "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope" because of the newer prequels — will be compiled in a four-disc collection along with the follow-ups "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

The fourth disc will be for bonus features, including what the companies described as "the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced about the 'Star Wars' saga" and never-released archive footage from the making of all three films.

"Star Wars" was credited with ushering in the new age of blockbusters when it debuted in the 1970s and the films remain feverishly popular.

They were re-released in theaters in new "special edition" versions in 1997 that included touched-up effects and some new scenes — including one with Harrison Ford as the smuggler Han Solo and a digital wriggling, mobile Jabba the Hutt slug-creature that was cut previously because filmmaker George Lucas' ideas could not be fully realized by the early special-effects.

The versions on DVD will only feature the special editions, LucasFilm spokeswoman Lynn Hale said. Many fans of the original movies had hoped the rougher, unaltered films would also be provided.

There have been two prequels to the story of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and the droids C-3P0 and R2-D2 since "Return of the Jedi" wrapped up the original series in 1983.

"Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" debuted in 1999, followed by "Episode II — Attack of the Clones" in 2002. Both are already available on DVD and will not be included in the original trilogy package in September.

The new films tell the story of Darth Vader in his youth as Anakin Skywalker, filling in much of the backstory that led to the 1977 classic with Mark Hammill, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness.

The as-yet-untitled third prequel recently wrapped principal photography and is set for release in 2005.