If you live in London, England and are fortunate to be around the BFI Film on Film Festival you were in for a special treat on 12th June as the festival had the first screening of the original cut of Star Wars, the first showing of this cut since 1978!

The movie was significantly changed in the Special Edition version of Star Wars in 1998 in the run up to the first prequel movie Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace in 1999.

This was a very rare treat for fans of the series as the Special Editions, especially of this movie, have caused controversy over the year, especially the now famous "Han Shoots First" scene.

A brief history of this print of the film as found in various sources on the internet:

The BFI (British Film Institute) found the print in their archives and after contacting Lucasfilm about doing a screening they agreed.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said she was surprise that the print existed, but agreed to the screening as she thinks it is a valuable artifact in historical cinema.

Kennedy presented the showing to prove it was a legal copy!

As explained by the BFI

"In these very special screenings, we present the film exactly as experienced by audiences on its original 1977 release. Screening from one of the precious handful of dye transfer IB Technicolor prints produced uniquely for the first British release, and preserved in the BFI National Archive"

Lets hope this sentiment to the original cut goes that bit further and, as the whole trilogy is owned by Disney since the buyout of Fox, it gets a 4K remastered home release, as well as Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Return of the Jedi.

This weekend, Friday 4th December 2020, there are 7 new films released in the UK and where available in cinemas looking to hit the box office, but can they challenge last weekends top movie, Home Alone, for the number 1 spot?

Godmothered

• The movie is directed by Sharon Maguire
• Sharon Maguire also directed Bridget Jones's Baby in 2016 which grossed £48.1 Million in the UK and grossed $212 Million globally.
• It stars Isla Fisher who last starred in Greed (2020).
• The film also stars Jillian Bell who last appeared in Bill & Ted Face The Music (2020).

Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular

• This new release stars Katherine Jenkins who's last film was Dream Horse (2020)
• It also stars Bill Nighy who appeared in Hope Gap (2020).
• Katherine Jenkins and Bill Nighy appeared in Minamata (2020) together.
• The film is brought to us by new director Lynne Page.

Falling

• The movie is directed by Viggo Mortensen and is their directorial debut.
• It stars Viggo Mortensen and Lance Henriksen.

Lost At Christmas

• Also this week there is Lost At Christmas from director Ryan Hendrick marking a directorial debut.
• The film features Natalie Clark and Kenny Boyle in starring roles.

Mank

• The long list of new releases continues with Mank which is directed by David Fincher who directed The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in 2011.
• It stars Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried who were last seen together in A Place Among The Dead which grossed £0.

A Christmas Carol

• A Christmas Carol from directors David Morris and Jacqui Morris.
• The film stars Martin Freeman and Daniel Kaluuya.

County Lines

• This new release stars Harris Dickinson who's last film was Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil (2019)
• It also stars Ashley Madekwe who appeared in Salome (2014).
• The film is brought to us by new director Henry Blake.

Check back on Monday to see what new movies made it onto the Weekend Box Office Chart.

Next weeks there are 3 new movies

• Superintelligence, Friday, 11th December
• Dreamland, Friday, 11th December
• The Prom, Friday, 11th December

Sony Pictures have agreed to distribute the next as yet unnamed Bond film that is in development, as it did with the last two films, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. The film, which will again star Daniel Craig as Bond, is to be directed by Sam Mendes.

The film has had a difficult production to date, the film studio MGM, who own the franchise copyright, went into administration (its since been bought and rescued) and the production all but collapsing within the legal wranglings that followed, it looks like things are on track now.

MGM will retain distribution in the US and some other place with Sony not only distributing here but also co-funding the film (expect the usual array of product placement in the film).

It's looking like the film should have a smooth production now, with rumors that a script is near on complete, the title will be announced in due time (as with all Bond films) and the November 9th 2012 release date will be met.

It's been announced that after 22 years a sequel to the 1987 smash hit film Wall Street is to be made, is this good news, a sequel to a landmark film? It may be a case of dragging up the old and trying to breath new life into them like many of the atrocious remakes of '80's horror films that seems to be the fashion at the moment, but the good news here is that not only is Michael Douglas back as the money obsessed ruthless Gordon Gekko but Oliver Stone is back to write ad direct.

What will be interesting, and with Stone behind the script it's highly likely, will be the contrasts the new film will have with it's predecessor, the '80's was an age of richness and greed and when ruthless men on Wall Street didn't take lunch because they were too busy making money.

The naughties (2000 - 2009) have been an age when Wall Street in particular has been struck by tragedy that has changed peoples attitudes and the world is in the midst of a recession that in particular has his the financial industry, what a difference 20 years makes.

Douglas of course won the Oscar for his his lead in the original, if they can pull off a similar fate to that of The Color of Money for Paul Newman he may just do it again, lets just hope the title is not Wall Street 2!