A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...a young filmmaker crafted a trilogy of movies about a young farmboy who goes on to save the universe from an evil Emperor. This trilogy set the standard for science-fiction movies and film special effects for years to come. It attracted legions of die-hard fans worldwide--a fandom unlike any other.

Those movies were the original Star Wars trilogy of Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

The movies were eventually released on video, yet even though the fans screamed for a dvd release, George Lucas refused the notion, giving hundreds of reasons. Oh sure, the really desperate fan could buy an Asian VCD version--but the sound quality was horrible, not to mention trying to watch the movies through all the Chinese subtitles.

But now the Force will finally be coming to dvd this fall. Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, announced this week that the original trilogy will be released as a four-disc collection on Sept. 21, 2004 in the U.S. and Canada, with international release dates following closely. The fourth bonus disc will be filled with all-new special features -- including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced about the Star Wars saga and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films.

"We know how long fans have waited for this release and how much they have been looking forward to it, so everyone has been working overtime to make sure that the Star Wars trilogy on DVD is an awesome experience," said Jim Ward, vice president of marketing and distribution for Lucasfilm Ltd. and the DVD collection's executive producer.

Each of the three films in the Star Wars trilogy has also been digitally restored and re-mastered by THX for superior sound and picture quality. And they will include the scenes updated and readded for the trilogy's twentyieth anniversary releases, several years ago.

"First and foremost, the DVDs will deliver the very best possible sound and picture and take advantage of everything the medium can offer. On top of that, we are creating added-value material that gets inside the creation of the Star Wars films in a fresh and fun way," Ward said. "We want watching this DVD collection to be as memorable as seeing the movies for the first time."

The films of the Star Wars trilogy are available on dvd exclusively as a part of this collection and will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX. All three films will be closed-captioned and subtitled in English, French and Spanish in the U.S. Internationally, sound and subtitling specifications will vary by territory.

Lucas is also putting together a special trailer for the final, yet unnamed Star Wars movie set for release in May 2005. This trailer will make its debut in this dvd box set. Hope is this trailer, combined with the actual dvd release of the original trilogy, will spark a huge wave of interest in Episode III that will carry over to its release date.