What deleted scenes might we see on the Star Wars Blu-rays?

So, George Lucas has announced that the original trilogy will be released on Blu-ray next year with "deleted scenes that you haven't seen yet".

The Internet has already seen the much talked-about Return Of The Jedi deleted scene that sees Darth Vader continue to tempt Luke to The Dark Side and young Skywalker finish the construction of his new lightsaber on Tatooine. But what other deleted scenes could we see on the Blu-ray releases?

Here's a list of scenes that are known to exist, were cut from the original three films, and which might appear on the Blu-ray releases:

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Luke watches the space battle

The audience's first introduction to Luke was meant to be him fixing a moisture vapirator, before he notices the ongoing battle in orbit between the Star Destroyer and Princess Leia's blockade runner.

After watching the battle via his space-binoculars, Luke jumps into his land speeder to go see his friends at Tosche Station.

Tosche Station and Biggs

Once at the station, the audience would have seen the first appearance of the ill-fated Biggs, who later buys the farm at the Battle of Yavin. Biggs would have been on leave from the Academy, relaxing with others friends called Deak, Windy, Camie and Fixer. Luke was meant to arrive to tell them about the battle, but once they go outside to see it, it's long over and Luke is mocked for making it up.

Biggs then talks with Luke about the Imperial Academy, where he is training to be a pilot. He also tells his old friend he's going to join the Rebellion against the Empire. Jealous of his friend's adventures, Luke gives Biggs a final farewell.

There were some other tiny scenes cut from A New Hope, but these are the only ones that really matter. However, The Empire Strikes Back is rumoured to contain some of the best deleted material from the saga.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Hobbie Vs General Veers

As if the Battle of Hoth didn't have enough action going on, a lot more was actually filmed. Among the scenes cut one saw a member of Rogue Squadron called Hobbie ("Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?") crash his damaged speeder into General Veers' AT-AT.

This was likely cut because Veers succeeds in destroying the shield generators, and from there on in it's all about the retreat. A retreat made all the more difficult by more wampas!

Sneaky wampas

Earlier in the film, Leia refers to "one of those creatures", meaning the wampas. Now, as audience members ,we all assume she knows about them, as Luke was mauled by one. However, Echo Base has already met the wampas before.

A scene was reportedly filmed where R2D2 and C3PO are chased down a hallway by one, until it is shot by rebel soldiers.  Later, when Han is about to go out to find Luke on a tauntaun, a dead tauntaun is seen on the floor being examined by 2-1B, the medical droid.

They were meant to act as ‘teaser scenes' to suggest that a wampa infiltration of the base had begun.

Jailed wampas

This is arguably one of the most famous cut scenes in the trilogy, simply as some of it is still featured in the final film.

What's supposed to happen is this. During the scenes on Hoth, the beeping of R2-D2 attracts the wampas. R2 then leads them into a large room, and a big warning sign is put on the door to it by the Rebels, to stop them wandering in and meeting a sticky end.

The characters are later seen walking past this room. However, during the final moments of the Battle of Hoth, while fleeing to the Falcon, Han gives the door a quick look and almost stops but continues on past it after recognizing the warning. (The quick shot is in the finished film.)

C3PO, however, continues to do something that is positively genius and horrific at the same time. He removes the sign. As such, invading snowtroopers make the mistake of going inside the room, only to be ripped to shreds by the wampas.

So, essentially, C3PO commits manslaughter...

Luke vs wampas

There are also rumours about a scene where Luke mans a laser canon and blasts a few wampas. As this will require some FX work, it's not known whether it was ever finished or if it will be on the Blu-ray.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

Luke finishes his lightsaber

The scene was revealed this week at Celebration V (and is pictured in low resolution top right of this page, which you can click to enlarge). If you managed to catch the clip before it started disappearing from video hosting sites, it was pretty cool, eh?

Sandstorm

Return Of The Jedi doesn't really have that many deleted scenes, apart from one scene after our heroes escape Jabba's barge.

To be honest, not much happens. Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, and the droids go back to the Millennium Falcon, but there is a sandstorm! They have a quick farewell, then they part ways... Um, that's it.

So, this could be what's on the Blu-ray releases of the films in terms of deleted scenes. Interesting, eh? But is it enough to make us all fork out for the Star Wars trilogy for a possible fourth, fifth or sixth time?