The BFI Film on Film Festival in London recently hosted a rare screening of the original, unaltered 1977 "Star Wars" film, complete with its unique opening crawl and the "Han shot first" version of the Mos Eisley cantina scene. This event offered a unique opportunity for fans to experience the film as it was initially released, before George Lucas made later changes. 

At Cooledtured, there’s a Star Wars fan in all of us. We thought we’d make this article in order to highlight our favorite parts of the event and to give a recap of what exactly differed between the original screening and the version of the film that we all know and love to date.

What is the BFI?

BFI stands for British Film Institute. It's a cultural charity and the UK's lead organization for film and the moving image. The BFI works to promote and preserve filmmaking and television in the UK, supporting creativity, developing new talent, and preserving the BFI National Archive.

Event Highlights

We loved that Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, was present at the screening - why? For those familiar with George Lucas, you may be familiar with the ever-evolving vision he possesses for his projects. His uncompromising perspective on his creations also led to a reluctance to show products that didn’t line up with his creative vision at the time. NPR states that “Lucasfilm has previously only permitted screenings of the "Special Editions," [of the Star Wars films] which include the changed scenes and enhanced effects.”

Fandom enthusiasts were likely to have known how Lucas and Lucasfilm felt about screening different versions of Star Wars, let alone the highly rare original screening presented at the event. Kathleen Kennedy, therefore, served as a failsafe for the BFI in order to present the movie without backlash.

Also, as Twin Peaks fans, we couldn’t help but mention that in closing, the BFI also played the original 35mm of the US pilot episode, which they note was the very same print used for the first UK television broadcast in 1990. Even further, it was presented by Kyle MacLachlan, which fans may know better as Dale Cooper from the same series. It’s a great day for both Star Wars and Twin Peaks fans. 

Changes

Almost immediately after the first theatrical release, Lucas began tinkering with the Star Wars film as we know it. Out of all of them, the most notable change is likely him adding the "Episode IV: A New Hope" subtitle in 1981. 

 

This addition opened much of the way for what we now know as Star Wars as a vast and expansive fictional universe and media narrative. You can see the original crawl here, which as mentioned previously lacks the subtitle detailing the movie’s name: 

We’ll also bring up one of the most controversial changes to the movie that fans have been obsessed over for the longest time: in the original Star Wars movie, Han shot first. This portrayed him as much more of a roguish lone-wolf type character whose means didn’t necessarily dictate the ends. This was later changed to Greedo shooting first, which fans were quick to point out how much this undermined the character that the movie establishes. Personally, we agree that Han should’ve shot first. It just makes him that much cooler.

Here is an excellent video about what else is different in all three of the original prequel films compared to what Lucasfilms calls the “Special Editions” of the movies:

Conclusion

The BFI Film on Film Festival gave fans an unforgettable look into cinematic history, offering a rare glimpse at Star Wars as it was originally shown in 1977—untouched, unaltered, and exactly how George Lucas first imagined it. From the absent “Episode IV” subtitle to Han Solo’s famously controversial shootout, this screening reminded audiences why the original cut still holds such a legendary place in pop culture. Paired with the surprise Twin Peaks treat and the presence of Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, the event served as a love letter to the devoted fans who’ve kept the Force alive for generations.