The original Star Wars will make its IMAX debut before Ryan Gosling leads Shawn Levy’s new standalone adventure.
Star Wars is heading to IMAX for the first time as Lucasfilm prepares to celebrate the groundbreaking film’s 50th anniversary.
Disney and Lucasfilm announced that a newly restored version of George Lucas’ original 1977 movie will receive an anniversary theatrical re-release. Select locations will present the restoration on IMAX 70mm film, giving audiences a new way to experience the beginning of the iconic space saga.
Later that year, Star Wars: Starfighter will continue the celebration with its own IMAX 70mm release. Shawn Levy directs the standalone adventure, starring Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon.
Both films will mark the first time the Star Wars universe has been presented through the highly sought-after IMAX 70mm format.
The Original Star Wars Will Make Its IMAX Debut
The original Star Wars will return to theaters on February 19, 2027. The re-release will arrive as part of Lucasfilm’s yearlong celebration of the movie’s 50th anniversary.
This will be the first time Star Wars has ever played in IMAX, whether digitally or on film. A select number of theaters will screen the newly restored version using IMAX 70mm film.
Released in 1977, Star Wars introduced audiences to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and a galaxy unlike anything previously seen on the big screen. The movie became a cultural phenomenon and helped reshape blockbuster filmmaking, visual effects, theatrical sound and movie merchandising.
The film was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope as the franchise expanded.
Its IMAX debut gives longtime fans and new audiences an opportunity to experience the movie with a massive picture, enhanced sound, and the level of detail offered by an IMAX 70mm presentation.
Ryan Gosling Leads Star Wars: Starfighter
Star Wars: Starfighter will open in theaters on May 28, 2027, during the original film’s 50th anniversary weekend.
The new movie is an original standalone adventure directed and produced by Shawn Levy, whose credits include Deadpool & Wolverine, Free Guy, and Stranger Things. Ryan Gosling leads the cast as Kade Auberon, a new character entering the Star Wars universe.
Lucasfilm describes Kade as a cynical rogue who is confronted by his mysterious past. The encounter sends him on a dangerous adventure across the galaxy and places him on a collision course with destiny.
The story will introduce a new group of characters rather than continue the central Skywalker saga. Starfighter takes place in an unexplored period of the Star Wars timeline, giving Levy and his team space to build a separate corner of the galaxy.
Gosling is joined by Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams.
Jonathan Tropper wrote the screenplay. Levy and Kathleen Kennedy serve as producers, while Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen and Josh McLaglen are executive producers.
Starfighter Was Made for IMAX
Star Wars: Starfighter was shot with IMAX-certified cameras as part of the company’s Filmed for IMAX program. The finished movie will be converted into IMAX 70mm film prints for screenings at a limited number of compatible theaters.
The format is available at only a small selection of cinemas worldwide. Its large film frame can produce an extremely detailed image while allowing filmmakers to expand the picture for scenes created specifically for IMAX screens.
Demand for IMAX 70mm presentations has increased significantly in recent years. The format generated $78 million at the global box office this year, averaging approximately $1.9 million per screen. Major releases have regularly sold out shows for weeks, including late-night and early-morning screenings.
Releasing the original Star Wars and Starfighter in the same format connects two distant points in the franchise’s history. One screening honors the movie that changed modern cinema, while the other introduces a new adventure built for the largest screens available.
Star Wars returns to theaters on February 19, 2027, followed by Star Wars: Starfighter on May 28, 2027.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
