Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopeis returning to theaters. The 1977 movie, which was originally released under the titleStar Wars, was written and directed by George Lucas and introduced some of the most iconic characters in the history of science fiction, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C3PO, and R2-D2.
It kickstarted a sprawling multimedia franchisethat now includes nineStar Warsmoviesin the Skywalker Saga, two standalone live-action movies, and countless television series (both live-action and animated), tie-in novels, video games, action figures, comic books, theme park attractions, and more.
The officialStar Warswebsite has now announced thatEpisode IV - A New Hopewill be returning to theaters for a re-release on April 30th, 2027in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the franchise. This means that the movie will be in theaters on May 4 of that year, a date that is unofficially known as Star Wars Day.
The re-release of the originalStar Warsmovie will bejust one facet of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary celebration, about which more will be revealed at a later date.
What This Means For Star Wars
The Franchise’s Longevity Knows No Bounds
This re-release isfar from the first time thatA New Hopehas returned to theaterssince its original debut. The most notable instance is the release of theStar Warsspecial editions, which came to theaters in 1997 as part of the franchise’s 20th anniversary celebration, leading into the 1999 release of the first prequel,The Phantom Menace.
1977
1980
1983
1999
2002
2005
2015
2017
Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
2019
However, all three installments in theoriginalStar Warstrilogyhave beenre-released multiple times in the years both before and after the special editions first came to theaters, including re-releases ofA New Hopein various regions in 1982, 2014, 2020, and 2022.
Our Take On The Re-Release Of A New Hope
Could It Help The Movie Achieve A Box Office Milestone?
At the time of writing,A New Hopehas grossed $775.4 million worldwide, making itless than $25 million shy of becoming the seventhStar Warsmovie to surpass the huge $800 million milestone. However, it remains to be seen if the re-release has enough momentum to help it achieve that goal.
The only previous re-release ofStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopeto have made that much was the 1997 release, which made $160.7 million. It’s unlikely that the 50th anniversary will draw in the same audience as the special edition, which featured added material. Nevertheless, it could be enough of a historical occasion to get it to $800 million.
