‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ Gets Its Grandest Theatrical Comeback Yet, With a Format Fans Have Never Seen

Some movies are never really gone, and the original ‘Star Wars’ is the clearest example. It has been re-released, restored, renamed and reedited for decades, and it keeps drawing crowds back to the big screen. Now ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ is coming back for its 50th anniversary, and the plan is bigger than a simple revival.

Lucasfilm has framed the return as part of its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, with a newly restored version of the 1977 theatrical release playing for a limited time. The announcement has evolved since the studio first teased it. Early reports pointed to an April date that wouldn’t step on the toes of ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ but the schedule has since changed.

The film will now return to theaters on February 19, 2027, in a range of formats, including IMAX 70mm for the first time, plus digital IMAX, 70mm, 35mm and 4DX. That is a wide spread for a film that originally debuted in 1977. The anniversary poster shown with the announcement features Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca beneath the Death Star, with X-wings and TIE fighters swarming overhead.

The IMAX piece is the headline feature. The restored film will be the first theatrical run since 1997 and the first official IMAX release in any capacity. According to StarWars.com, it will also be the first time any ‘Star Wars’ movie has been screened in IMAX 70mm.

That question has hovered over the re-release from the start. Reports say Dave Filoni made clear the re-release won’t be the 1997, 2004, 2011 or 2019 “Special Edition,” but the 1977 version. Not every outlet treats that as settled, however. One analysis notes that Lucasfilm calls it a “newly restored version” of the 1977 release, and it would be inaccurate to turn that phrase into a promise that later changes were removed.

The history behind the debate is long. Creator George Lucas often altered the films for re-releases, and in December 2025, Lucasfilm announced that a restoration of the unaltered original would return to theaters. Fans have waited a long time to see the theatrical cut projected again, and a few lucky ones have already caught it elsewhere. The British Film Institute showed an original 35mm release print of the film.

The format raises a practical question. The original movie was shot on 35mm film with anamorphic lenses for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, far from IMAX’s 1.43:1. The same report presumes the film will go through IMAX’s remastering process, though nothing has been confirmed about how it will be handled.

The IMAX 70mm footprint is limited. The format is rare, but it has been popular lately. Per Deadline, IMAX 70mm locations have delivered a record $78 million in global box office this year. Select locations include the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, Regal Irvine Spectrum in Irvine and Harkins Arizona Mills in Tempe.

The re-release is only one piece of a larger campaign. ‘Star Wars’ Celebration will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from April 1 to 4, 2027, serving as the official kickoff of the anniversary year. It also sets up a busy stretch for the franchise on the big screen.

Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ starring Ryan Gosling, will open on May 28, 2027, the 50th-anniversary weekend of the original. It was filmed with IMAX-certified cameras and converted to IMAX 70mm for select prints. Together, the two films give ‘Star Wars’ a rare double dose of premium formats.

Re-releases have been reliable moneymakers for the franchise. The ‘Revenge of the Sith’ re-release earned $55.5 million worldwide in its own limited engagement. Going further back, the 1997 re-release added another $138 million in the U.S. and $160 million globally.

Those numbers help explain why the studio is leaning in. The anniversary is a milestone, the format is a draw, and the movie still carries enormous nostalgia. Details on ticketing remain limited, though Disney has said it will share when and where to buy tickets on StarWars.com.

With the date set and the formats confirmed, the biggest remaining questions are about the cut and the ticket sales. For now, fans have a firm date to circle and a chance to see the original on a scale it has never had.

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