Star Wars Episode III Gets a New 3D Release Date

While 20th Century Fox may have cancelled plans for a 3-D reissue of their hit Independence Day here in the U.S., the second and third Star Wars prequels will blast into theaters over the course of the next year or so, getting a 3-D treatment and setting the stage for the reissue of the original trilogy before the 2015 release date of Star Wars Episode VII. The prequels were originally set to hit theaters on September 20th, 2013 and October 11th, 2013, but Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith has been moved up a week to October 4, where it will now compete against Sin City: A Dame to Kill For for moviegoers' affections. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit theaters earlier this year with a 3-D reissue timed to coincide with the release of the Star Wars saga on Blu-ray. The film had a respectable 3-D showing, which pushed the cumulative box office total for the film to just over $1 billion globally. The film would still be in the top ten globally of all time if not for The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers taking up spots on the list this year as well. It's the fifth-highest grossing film of all time domestically and the highest-grossing Star Wars film, according to Box Office Mojo. Of course, that last number may change somewhat as Star Wars mania grips the fandom in anticipation of the sequels and later installments get a bigger bump to their 3-D take than did Phantom Menace.