Kathleen Kennedy Clarifies Original Star Wars Screening Legality

The British Film Institute has just screened a rare copy of the very first Star Wars print - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy present to assure fans this was not an illegal showing.

As reported by GamesRadar, Kennedy humorously addressed the audience during her introduction before the iconic film played at London's BFI Film on Film Festival on June 12, stating, "I'm here to… make sure you don't think this screening is illegal."

She elaborated on the significance of this particular print, noting, "It's become incredible folklore. When I joined the company, there were endless discussions about where everything was located and which version actually was the first print. It's quite remarkable. What you will see tonight is indeed that first print, and I'm not certain another one quite like it even exists. It's that rare. So much tinkering occurred over the years, with George [Lucas] deciding 'I'm going to change this' or 'try that.' Eventually, everyone lost track of what the original truly looked like."

Kathleen Kennedy assures Star Wars fans: the BFI’s screening of the original cut is completely legal pic.twitter.com/0a1Pa6FXDI

— Jacob Stolworthy (@JacobStolworthy) June 12, 2025

This event marked the first public screening of the original 1977 print since 1978, though this specific cut has been released on VHS on a few occasions over the decades. According to a Telegraph report from April, the film reels were stored at a precise 23 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain their quality and ensure an authentic viewing experience.

The BFI explained their approach, stating, "For these very special screenings, we are presenting the film exactly as audiences experienced it upon its original 1977 release."

"We are screening from one of the precious few dye transfer IB Technicolor prints created uniquely for the British debut, preserved in the BFI National Archive. While the print shows some signs of wear characteristic of an archive piece, its color remains gloriously unfaded. It is truly unmissable," they added.

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Interestingly, George Lucas has long been known for preferring to keep the film's original version out of the public eye. He began making adjustments to that cut soon after its initial release, and those modified versions eventually became the official 'Special Edition.' That 1997 Special Edition is what has been widely available to fans for years.