If you rewatch Star Wars every few years, then put your Blu-ray discs or Disney+ down. It’s time to get excited because, during an investor call, IMAX announced that Star Wars: A New Hope will be coming to IMAX theaters for the film’s 50th anniversary. The film is expected to hit theaters around Star Wars Day on May 4, 2027, shortly before IMAX screens are taken over by Legend of Zelda and the Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter.
That’s not the only reason to be excited. Rumors are swirling that Lucasfilm is working to restore the original theatrical cuts of the first three Star Wars films and put them in theaters rather than the special editions released 30 years ago. Leaks about the project have been shared on social media, and we can only hope they’re true, as they’d give many fans their first opportunity to see the original Star Wars cuts in a theater.
The 50th Anniversary of ‘Star Wars’ Will Be Spectacular
Star Wars re-releases come and go nearly every year, but the fact that IMAX theaters already have A New Hope scheduled for 2027 shows that Lucasfilm has good foresight for the anniversary. Don’t expect the celebration to be limited to an IMAX release of A New Hope. There’s a good chance new collectibles, promotional events, and interviews about the film’s legacy will be released alongside the IMAX showings.
Be sure to get tickets for the film as soon as they’re announced. A movie with as significant a cultural impact as A New Hope, in this format, will draw plenty of nostalgic fans to theaters. A New Hope is already a great film, which will only be enhanced on the big IMAX screens. The film’s sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, are even better and will most likely follow A New Hope with IMAX releases in future years.
Is It True That the Original ‘Star Wars’ Cuts Are Getting Remastered?
The IMAX release of A New Hope may differ from the version currently streaming on Disney+, potentially featuring the original theatrical cut rather than the special edition. Fans have discovered potential leaks suggesting that Lucasfilm is working on remastered versions of the original cuts of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Reddit user No-Swordfish-6231 posted on r/StarWarsLeaks that clips from the remastering process were accidentally uploaded to YouTube. The user also included screenshots from these clips, which further support this theory.
Restoring the original versions of Star Wars would certainly make sense with the big anniversary and the plan to bring A New Hope to IMAX theaters. Re-releasing the original trilogy would be a huge event that could attract all sorts of crowds, making now the best time to introduce restored versions of the films that launched a major franchise. The main question is, did Lucasfilm get approval from the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, to do this? Lucas was the one who released special editions of the Star Wars films, feeling that he could improve upon them. He’s no longer the head of Lucasfilm, however, meaning the company could be restoring the original cuts on its own.
Why This Is All a Big Deal
The idea of the original cuts of Star Wars getting re-released is a bit surprising, considering how long they’ve been kept from the public. Many younger Star Wars fans have never even seen the original Star Wars cuts. The original cuts were phased out when the special editions were released in 1997. That means anyone who’s part of Generation Z, which started around 1997, would have been born into a world without the theatrical cuts. A remastered version of these cuts would mark the first time these fans get the original Star Wars experience, and in such a convenient way, too.
Releasing the original versions of the first three Star Wars movies would be an effective way to win back favor with fans. The franchise hasn’t had the best luck pleasing fans after being acquired by Disney. The sequel trilogy didn’t live up to the original and prequel trilogies, and the recent focus on Disney+ shows hasn’t been great either. An announcement about restoring the original cuts would be perfect to get back in good graces with Star Wars fans, especially after recent news that Disney canceled a Ben Solo movie.
The supposed leaks of the original cuts’ remasters are especially exciting because the photos look great. The films haven’t had a remaster since 2019, when they were updated for 4K TVs for Disney+ with a Blu-ray release following soon after. Those remasters are good, but they leave something to be desired. Based on screenshots shared on Reddit, this upcoming theatrical release could look even better, especially if they’re showing in IMAX. Although IMAX theaters in the US are limited, the restoration will likely be available through other formats as well. Expect a physical and digital release to follow.
- Release Date
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May 25, 1977
- Runtime
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121 minutes
- Producers
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Gary Kurtz, Rick McCallum
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
