Films And Books Need Protection?

My next bit of business involves the new edition of Blade Runner, soon to be released. The new edition will actually contain five different versions of the film, hopefully (and probably) including the original -unmodified- version. I don't understand this strange phenomenon among filmmakers, nor do I approve. However, let's put it into a different context, one that will hopefully elicit a few laughs.

Suppose that, twenty years from now, J.K. Rowling decides to go back and re-write portions of her infamous Harry Potter series of books. Or (if he was still alive today), perhaps J.R.R. Tolkien declares that his Middle Earth books are in need of an overhaul.

A little silly, perhaps, but I think it paints a fine picture. And it only gets better:

So J.K. Rowling up and declares that she's re-writing bits and pieces of her old books. When asked why, she says, "My writing style, and in fact the writing style of authors in general, has changed over the last twenty years. With all the recent advances in writing lately, I feel that I can finally present Harry's story the way it was meant to be read."

That's essentially what some filmmakers are using to justify the way they're treating their older films. "I can finally show this movie the way it was meant to be seen" is a weak argument at best. So, if filmmakers can do it to their movies, why can't authors do the same thing with their books? It isn't any different for the purposes of this argument; both mediums are used to tell stories.

Too many people who love their precious books will argue that filmakers can do whatever they want to their creations. It's hypocritical in the extreme for them to defend filmmakers, and then turn around and protest authors revamping their books.

Which, of course, makes them look rather silly.

I wanna' see how the world handles a "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Special Edition". Maybe Rowling can try to make it the definitive version, and attempt to phase out the original versions of the books! It'll be awesome! Yay!

Anyone have any other long-standing favorite books or series' that they'd like to add to the list? Sound off, people! Let's see how many special edition novels we can come up with!