Original Star Wars to Return in IMAX 70mm

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The original Star Wars returns to movie theaters next year in 70 mm IMAX. Lucasfilm and IMAX confirmed on Tuesday that the 50th anniversary rerelease arrives next February.

Lucasfilm states on StarWars.com that the film will play in select theaters for a limited time across a select number of IMAX 70 mm film locations.

Lucasfilm and IMAX also reconfirmed the release of the stand-alone adventure Star Wars: Starfighter. On May 28, 2027, Lucasfilm will release Star Wars: Starfighter, which was filmed for IMAX, shot with IMAX-certified film cameras, and converted to IMAX 70 mm film prints for release in a select number of IMAX film locations.

Star Wars: Starfighter is directed by Shawn Levy, who worked on Deadpool & Wolverine and Stranger Things. The film stars Ryan Gosling from Blade Runner 2049 and Barbie as Kade Auberon. Kade Auberon is described as a cynical rogue who is hurled into a dangerous adventure across the galaxy that puts him on a crash course with destiny. The cast also features Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray, and Amy Adams. Jonathan Tropper, who worked on Warrior and The Adam Project, wrote the movie.

IMAX previously confirmed a 2027 release for the original Star Wars. The screening provides a rare opportunity to see George Lucas’ 1977 science-fantasy epic without the later alterations and digital effects.

This is Star Wars before ‘A New Hope’

George Lucas famously altered the edits and special effects throughout the original Star Wars trilogy. For the 20th anniversary of the franchise, Lucasfilm released the Star Wars Special Edition trilogy with computer graphics and additional scenes to prime audiences for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Lucas continued altering the films for three decades, leading to versions like the Maclunkey Cut of A New Hope on Disney Plus.

Former Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy teamed up with the British Film Institute in 2025 to screen an early print of Star Wars untouched by the creator. The British Film Institute even prepared an old, complete version of the original crawl featuring the title before “A New Hope” was added.

Fans wondered which version of the film would return to theaters. Lucas previously stated that the original versions would disappear and do not really exist anymore. Fans who dislike the changes have relied on old VHS and Laserdisc copies or fan-restored versions for decades.

Audiences will soon see the original film on a brand-new scale.