The original Star Wars film is set to return to theaters, but fans are going to have to wait a while before they get a chance to see it on the big screen again. On the official Star Wars website, it was announced that Star Wars: A New Hope will be re-released on April 30, 2027, commemorating the movie’s 50th anniversary. This will be a limited theatrical engagement, running through May the 4th (Star Wars Day). Details beyond that are being kept under wraps for now. No tickets are available to be purchased yet.
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A New Hope will be re-released in theaters amidst a busy time for Lucasfilm. Star Wars Celebration 2027 takes place in early April in Los Angeles, and the studio will also be gearing up for the premiere of Shawn Levy’s new movie Star Wars: Starfighter, which opens in late May 2027. These are all just some of the many ways Lucasfilm will be celebrating Star Wars’ 50th anniversary in a couple of years.
Disney has made a habit out of re-releasing old Star Wars films in theaters recently. Last year, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace returned to the big screen in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary. Earlier this year, it was Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith‘s turn, coinciding with its 20th anniversary. The Revenge of the Sith re-release proved to be a lucrative box office draw, earning $55.5 million worldwide in its own limited engagement.
Since it initially premiered back in 1977, A New Hope has been re-released in theaters multiple times. The most famous example is when the special edition debuted in 1997 to commemorate the 20th anniversary. Before that, the film was re-released in the 1980s, which is when Episode IV — A New Hope was added to the opening text crawl. Unadjusted for inflation, Star Wars remains one of the highest-grossing films in history; its $460.9 million domestic total ranks 27th on the all-time charts.
It isn’t specified which version of A New Hope will play for this re-release. After a print of the original, unaltered theatrical cut was screened at this year’s BFI Film on Film Festival, some fans are probably hoping that version will return to the big screen in all its glory. However, until further notice, it’s safe to assume it will be the most recent special edition that released in 2019 with the launch of Disney+. That’s the version that features Greedo’s infamous “Maclunkey” line, but it also boasts better picture quality than past home media releases.
With the premiere of Starfighter and whatever reveals are in store at Celebration, Star Wars fans will have an exciting future to look towards in 2027. But even with all the new projects on the horizon, it’s always a great time to experience the film that started it all on the big screen again. The 50th anniversary re-release of A New Hope will surely be a sizable draw, perhaps even surpassing what Revenge of the Sith brought in this year. Hopefully A New Hope will screen in some premium formats, further immersing viewers in the galaxy far, far away.
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Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.
