In a nod to Star Wars fans, Lucasfilm's gravity-defying president, Kathleen Kennedy, made a theatrical appearance at the BFI Film on Film Festival in London. And guess what caused the stir? The galactic blockbuster was none other than the rarely ever seen, original first print of George Lucas’ Star Wars.

Earlier this year, the BFI had cinema-goers biting their nails when they announced they're going to roll out this rarity for a public screening, considering George Lucas’ less than positive sentiments about this version.

Unlike the flick fans are familiar with today, this 1977 version of this trailblazing space western didn't carry the now-iconic subtitle “Episode IV: A New Hope”. And in a twist that has been a bone of contention in fan circles, we see the rogue smuggler Han Solo gun down Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina – as opposed to later versions which had Greedo shoot first. Remember the fans' war cry, “Han shot first?” Yep, it originated from this version.

Lucas being Lucas, he defended his right to unchanged access to the Star Wars’ editing console. He once even told AP regarding the first print, “I’m sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it, but I want it to be the way I want it to be.” No wonder, when the news of the original print's screening spread, there was a disturbance in the fan force.

Making her dramatic appearance, Kennedy told a captivated crowd that she had come to assure everyone that it was okay that this original print was being shown, even though some fans were concerned it was not in line with George Lucas' vision. BFI's top boss, Ben Roberts, described finding the print in good enough condition for public screening as nothing short of a "miracle."

Kennedy went down the memory lane, recalling how when she joined Lucasfilm, there were discussions about identifying the first print. "What you’re going to see is, in fact, the first print," Kennedy said, adding that she isn’t even sure any more such prints exist considering how unique and rare it is.

For Kennedy, Lucas' 1977 film is the “gold standard” of storytelling, which everyone in Lucasfilm refers to when embarking on new Star Wars' projects.

Fresh off the second season of ‘Andor’ on Disney+, and as Shawn Levy’s ‘Starfighter’ featuring Ryan Gosling gears up, a delighted Kennedy in London sees expanding possibilities for the Star Wars franchise. She believes the future could lead to standalone stories that don't necessarily have to connect with everything from the original storyline, allowing for a dynamic and exciting array of creative interpretation.