It's a very mysterious choice.
References abound. It's not significantly more work or that much more expensive to make it more accurate to what was used on-screen.
This figure, like the Hot Toys Stormtrooper, looks excellent, but just like that one, it isn't quite as faithful to the screen-used prop as it could be.
I would love it if the creative/production choices could be addressed by someone at Sideshow. Has anyone ever asked them? Respectfully, that is.
i .e. You had an opportunity to recreate a screen-used costume in 1/6 scale; but chose to go with an artistic interpretation instead, in effect creating your own version of the character, perhaps akin to very sophisticated fan art.
The resulting product remains stunning, but lacks fidelity to the actual prop, which is a relatively simple design.
Additionally, sculpts between lines such as Premium Format and 1/6, are not internally consistent.
Is there an overarching logic or motivation behind these design choices, or a mandate from license holders?
CAHobbit? Anyone else from Sideshow able to give us some insight on the creative and production process?