Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (4K+2D Blu-ray SteelBook) (Zavvi Exclusive) [UK]

[Noodles]

Release date: August 3, 2020
Purchase link: Zavvi (Pre-order on May 21, around 9 AM for Red Carpet , at 12 PM general sale - UK time)
Price: £29.99
Note: 3 discs

Spoiler

 

[ManRay]

Blame Black Lives Matter if you must blame anyone.

In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM HBO pulled GONE WITH THE WIND for its racial stereotyping even though the film has been attacked for years for its depiction of slavery.
In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM Disney pulled the "Gone With the Wind" Style A STAR WARS V poster for the steelbook because the original poster design was missing African American actor Billy Dee Williams who'd complained to Fox that he wasn’t featured on the poster despite his contractual billing in the film and contractual guarantee to be on promotional posters for the film.
The Style B Darth Vader poster replaced it and became the official main poster with the Vader character voiced by the African American actor with the great voice James Earl Jones.

--------------------------------- V ---------------------------------------------------- VI ---------------------------------- IX (TBC) ---------------------------------------I
View attachment 479491 / View attachment 479488 + View attachment 479490

This is the best explanation I've seen. It really is a massive shame. Such a ridiculous load of pedantic nonsense. Also wasn't there another GWTW style poster with Billy added? Although I suppose they didn't want the association with the movie? I dunno, it actually kills brain cells trying to work it out

 

[MrSquifler]

Blame Black Lives Matter if you must blame anyone.

In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM HBO pulled GONE WITH THE WIND for its racial stereotyping even though the film has been attacked for years for its depiction of slavery.
In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM Disney pulled the "Gone With the Wind" Style A STAR WARS V poster for the steelbook because the original poster design was missing African American actor Billy Dee Williams who'd complained to Fox that he wasn’t featured on the poster despite his contractual billing in the film and contractual guarantee to be on promotional posters for the film.
The Style B Darth Vader poster replaced it and became the official main poster with the Vader character voiced by the African American actor with the great voice James Earl Jones.

--------------------------------- V ---------------------------------------------------- VI ---------------------------------- IX (TBC) ---------------------------------------I
View attachment 479491 / View attachment 479488 + View attachment 479490

This sound like complete nonsense to me.

It's far more likely to do with legal issues than social ones.

 

[burtbird]

Blame Black Lives Matter if you must blame anyone.

In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM HBO pulled GONE WITH THE WIND for its racial stereotyping even though the film has been attacked for years for its depiction of slavery.
In 2020 out of sensitivity to BLM Disney pulled the "Gone With the Wind" Style A STAR WARS V poster for the steelbook because the original poster design was missing African American actor Billy Dee Williams who'd complained to Fox that he wasn’t featured on the poster despite his contractual billing in the film and contractual guarantee to be on promotional posters for the film.
The Style B Darth Vader poster replaced it and became the official main poster with the Vader character voiced by the African American actor with the great voice James Earl Jones.

--------------------------------- V ---------------------------------------------------- VI ---------------------------------- IX (TBC) ---------------------------------------I
View attachment 479491 / View attachment 479488 + View attachment 479490

Proof of this claim? Sounds like b*llocks to me

 

[paulboland]

This is the best explanation I've seen. It really is a massive shame. Such a ridiculous load of pedantic nonsense. Also wasn't there another GWTW style poster with Billy added? Although I suppose they didn't want the association with the movie? I dunno, it actually kills brain cells trying to work it out

Kastel Draft Poster with Billy Dee Williams was created first
The Kastel draft poster with Lando was never used by Fox Lucasfilms as a Theatrical Poster
The poster image was only used on the back of the RSO Vinyl Soundtrack album sleeve that soundtrack was done before the cinema release.



Fox Lucasfilms created a edited version of Kastel image and also change the colour
It's this poster below that very briefly was seen in some cinemas

This edited version of Kastel poster created by Fox/Lucasfilms was withdrawn from cinemas very quicky in May 1980 due to complaint from Billy Dee Williams

The offical posters used in 1980 are
Cinema release May 1980



Later in 1980 these new cinema posters was used

 

[DMD4k]

6 of those 7 would be better than what we got. They could have picked blindfolded and chances are it would've been better.

 

[Ashcroft]

Yeah that first one in the added in 1980 section, the one without the border, is great. Might even be better than the Gone With The Wind one.

And yes blaming the GWTW poster not being used on BLM is complete and utter nonsense, George Floyd was murdered a week AFTER this art was revealed, and no one at any media corp was even pretending to care about BLM before that.

Also they would have used a poster WITH Billy Dee Williams if that was the case, not another one WITHOUT him.

 

[paulboland]

Yeah that first one in the added in 1980 section, the one without the border, is great. Might even be better than the Gone With The Wind one.

And yes blaming the GWTW poster not being used on BLM is complete and utter nonsense, George Floyd was murdered a week AFTER this art was revealed, and no one at any media corp was even pretending to care about BLM before that.

Also they would have used a poster WITH Billy Dee Williams if that was the case, not another one WITHOUT him.

The Kastel Draft Poster that included Billy Dee Williams was never used as a Offical Theatrical Poster
That poster was only a draft poster and never used by Fox/Lucasfilms as a cinema poster
It was used only on the back of the soundtrack album sleeve release


Fox/Lucasfilms created an edited version of Kastel image and was removed from the small number of cinemas that used it and was removed very quickly in May 1980
That's this poster and reason why it was removed in May 1980 is because Billy Dee Williams made a complaint


A few don't realise that there was 2 posters created with Darth Vader Image
A teaser poster image used in 1979
Coming Soon Poster


The second poster created was the Official Theatrical Poster used for May 1980 Cinema release


The next official Theatrical Poster used in Cinemas May 1980



Outside of a USA cinema May 21st 1980 notice It's Darth Vader Image used


UK Royal Charity Premiere Odeon Cinema May 20th 1980 is using this



The 2 Official Theatrical Posters for May 1980 release is these 2


That is why Zavvi steelbook is using the Darth Vader Poster as it is the Official Theatrical Poster used in May 1980

 

[ethnosax]

Adding to the fun (I love poster-art discussions!)——There's also this design by Lawrence Noble, created for the original release but not selected. It was then used for the 10th anniversary re-release:

And a redesign, printed as a limited run a few years ago:

Noble is also a sculptor, and it's his bronze statue of Yoda that stands in front of Lucasfilm headquarters:

 

[virkia]

Yeah that first one in the added in 1980 section, the one without the border, is great. Might even be better than the Gone With The Wind one.

And yes blaming the GWTW poster not being used on BLM is complete and utter nonsense, George Floyd was murdered a week AFTER this art was revealed, and no one at any media corp was even pretending to care about BLM before that.

Also they would have used a poster WITH Billy Dee Williams if that was the case, not another one WITHOUT him.

A) The posters used for this steelbook collection are based on ORIGINAL posters in the same manner as the WB collection of 10 original poster art steelbooks released in January 2013 that included BEN-HUR, THE MALTESE FALCON, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, DR. ZHIVAGO, CASABLANCA, not forgetting GONE WITH THE WIND etc.

B) Billy Dee Williams was not included in the Style A poster which was quickly withdrawn (hence rare and worth a few bob) and replaced by the Style B Darth Vader head therefore its inclusion here as the steelbook art is not totally mysterious.

 

[Ashcroft]

I have never once claimed that the awful Vadar head poster wasn't the theatrical poster, did you both mean to quote someone else?

 

[choochoonesme]

Having a new hope in hand makes me even more angry that we're getting this Vader head. It sucks and anyone who says they like it when it arrives is just in denial

 

[tommyh84]

@paulboland you could have saved a lot of moaning posting what you have today almost 50 pages ago

Thank you for explaining why you Zavvi made the choice of artwork you they did

 

[IT Troll]

That is why Zavvi steelbook is using the Darth Vader Poster as it is the Official Theatrical Poster used in May 1980

Nice theory, but the image they have used for the steelbook is obviously the 1979 Teaser variant. So they have still picked the wrong one.

 

[virkia]

One of the original advance one sheet posters that first appeared in September 1979 publicising the film's May 1980 release:-

 

[GeoRattray]

Hmmm, looking at this at 4:10am in the morning half asleep, partially blind, it isn't half bad after all....










...still isn't something the many or the few, or the one are going to say at the pre-order stage

 

[a_o]

edit: they really should've done a composite of that version's colorway and the draft poster's character count. Now Lando AND Boba Fett are in there.

 

[Shark]

I think this will become one of the most infamous releases ever. It’ll be referenced down the road for years.

 

[GeoRattray]

I think it will be contender for both best and worst steelbook of the year, it's so Marmite in a lot of aspects

 

[paulboland]

edit: they really should've done a composite of that version's colorway and the draft poster's character count. Now Lando AND Boba Fett are in there.View attachment 479562

Even though that looks better its not a original Official Theatrical Poster

 

[IT Troll]

Even though that looks better its not a original Official Theatrical Poster

Apparently that is not a requirement for this steelbook.