I grew up watching the original, un-Special Edition-ed theatrical cuts of the first three Star Wars movies that are now the middle three movies in canon. Ironically, I never got to watch the theatrical cut in the theater. I wore out those VHS tapes, but I never got to see those old-school Industrial Light and Magic practical effects on the big screen.
And now I will…in 2027. After months of speculation, it is now officially official: the original 1977 version of Star Wars — before it was called A New Hope, the one where Han shoots first and the one without the terrible CG Jabba the Hutt cameo — will finally hit theaters on February 19, 2027.
The release will be a part of the franchise’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration. It’ll only be around for a limited time, of course. So keep your eyes on StarWars.com for ticket details.
Earlier this year, Disney teased a rerelease of the film we now know as A New Hope, which immediately got fans wondering which version it would be. Would it honor George Lucas’ original vision, or would it honor his updated vision that granted his wish of replacing the practical effects with late 90s computer animation technology that already looked outdated within a few years of release?
Instead, Lucasfilm confirmed that this will be the real deal: the actual 1977 theatrical cut, restored and ready for a return to the big screen. Some reports even suggest an IMAX run, though Lucasfilm hasn’t confirmed anything on that front just yet.
Hints started dropping last year, when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy introduced a British Film Institute screening of an original 35mm print. There is also a brief, odd, and fascinating moment this past March, where the original cut of A New Hope was available on Roku’s Cinema Box app before being quickly taken down. The best part of that story is that not only was the movie removed from the service, but the entire service was taken down at the same time, which I can only assume means Lucas obliterated it from orbit with a space cannon.
There hasn’t been a Star Wars movie in theaters since 2019’s Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any Star Wars at all. Most recently, the anime anthology series of Visions hit Disney+, and earlier this year, Andor, which may be the best Star Wars story ever told, wrapped up its second and final season.
The re-release date shifted from April 30th to February 19th, giving it breathing room ahead of the studio’s new film Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling and arriving May 28th, 2027. It also follows The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting theaters on May 22nd, 2026, as Lucasfilm ramps up a full-scale return of Star Wars to movie screens.
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