Star Wars: A New Hope will return to theaters on February 19, 2027, in a newly restored version of the 1977 film. The Star Wars IMAX re-release will play in IMAX 70mm for the first time, along with digital IMAX, 70mm, 35mm and 4DX. Lucasfilm announced the date on November 12 as part of a yearlong celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary. The run will last for a limited time, and it will be the first theatrical run for the film since 1997.
The film that returns is the original 1977 theatrical release, later given the subtitle A New Hope in 1981. Lucasfilm first said in December 2025 that a restoration of the unaltered original film would return to theaters for the anniversary. Dave Filoni, the Lucasfilm executive who oversees the franchise, has said the re-release will be the 1977 version rather than one of the later Special Editions from 1997, 2004, 2011 or 2019. Some reports note that Lucasfilm calls the film a newly restored version of the 1977 release, and they caution that the studio has not spelled out every change that was kept or removed.
The IMAX presentation is the headline of the announcement. The film has never been shown in IMAX in any form, and this will be the first time any Star Wars film has been screened in IMAX 70mm, according to StarWars.com. The original film was shot on 35mm with anamorphic lenses for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is far from the taller IMAX frame, so the film is expected to go through the IMAX remastering process. Lucasfilm has not confirmed how the picture will be framed for the format, and that question will stay open until the Star Wars IMAX re-release reaches screens.
Star Wars IMAX re-release leads a year of events
The re-release opens a full year of anniversary plans, and the Star Wars IMAX re-release sits at the center of it. Star Wars Celebration will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from April 1 to 4, 2027, and it will serve as the official start of the anniversary year. A new poster for the re-release, designed by Matt Ferguson, shows Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca beneath the Death Star, with X-wings and TIE fighters above them.
The anniversary year also brings a new film to theaters. Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, will open on May 28, 2027, the 50th anniversary weekend of the original film. The new film was shot with IMAX-certified cameras and converted to IMAX 70mm for select prints. The two films give the franchise two premium format releases in the same year.
Star Wars IMAX re-release reaches select theaters
The IMAX 70mm version will play only at select locations, since the format is rare. Deadline reported that IMAX 70mm locations have delivered a record 78 million dollars in global box office this year, which helps explain why studios keep booking the format. Select locations reported for the Star Wars IMAX re-release include the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, Regal Irvine Spectrum in Irvine and Harkins Arizona Mills in Tempe. Disney has said it will share when and where to buy tickets on StarWars.com.
A second version of the film will reach a smaller set of venues in March as a side event to the Star Wars IMAX re-release. Cosm, which runs shared reality venues in Atlanta, Austin, Detroit and Inglewood, California, will show the film on 12K wraparound screens. That version will use the 2019 update of the film, presented in a 16 by 9 frame with effects around the edges. It is a separate engagement from the February theatrical run.
Why the Star Wars IMAX re-release makes sense
Re-releases have been steady earners for the franchise, and the Star Wars IMAX re-release follows that pattern. The Revenge of the Sith re-release earned 55.5 million dollars worldwide in its own limited run. The 1997 re-release of the original film added 138 million dollars in the United States and 160 million dollars worldwide, according to reports at the time. Those numbers show that audiences will return for a film they already know when the format or the occasion gives them a reason.
The British Film Institute has already shown an original 35mm release print of the film, which gave some fans an early look at the theatrical cut. For most viewers, February 19, 2027 will be the first chance to see the 1977 film on a big screen in three decades, and the first chance to see it in IMAX at all. Ticket details are still to come, and Disney has said it will post them on StarWars.com ahead of the Star Wars IMAX re-release.