Star Wars will return to cinemas worldwide in a newly restored presentation to mark its 50th anniversary. Lucasfilm has confirmed that the print scheduled for a limited theatrical engagement starting February 19, 2027, is the original 1977 cut — presented simply as Star Wars — rather than later re-titled or re-edited editions.
Earlier publicity around the anniversary left the exact version unspecified, but Lucasfilm later clarified it will screen the film in its original form, preserving the sequences and edit that debuted in 1977. This offers a rare chance to experience the motion picture that helped reshape popular filmmaking before subsequent revisions and digital alterations were applied over the decades.
George Lucas famously revisited the trilogy several times, most notably with the 1997 “Special Edition” releases, which introduced substantial visual effects updates and added footage created with then-modern digital techniques. Those changes — and later tweaks — have long divided devotees, who have relied on legacy VHS and LaserDisc copies or fan-assembled restorations to see the unaltered theatrical version.
This anniversary release follows collaborative archival work earlier in the year between Lucasfilm and the British Film Institute, which screened what is believed to be one of the earliest surviving prints of the film. Archivists took particular care in readying the reels for projection, even restoring an original opening crawl that predates the subtitle “A New Hope.”
For fans who have wanted a legitimate theatrical presentation of the untouched 1977 cut, this re-release will provide that opportunity. Lucasfilm says ticketing information and venue details for the February 19, 2027 engagement will be announced in the coming months.
Below is the official trailer to whet your appetite for the return to theaters.
Source: Polygon
