Original Star Wars 1977 film release confirmed to return to cinemas and in IMAX in early 2027

Next year marks 50 years since cinemagoers were transported to a galaxy far far away for the very first time – so it's no surprise that there are some big plans afoot to bring the original Star Wars back to cinemas.

And it's now been confirmed that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (or simply Star Wars, if you prefer) will be returning to the big screen in its original form from 19 February 2027 – including on IMAX screens.

The presentation will also include "an added celebratory logo in advance of the film featuring a newly orchestrated score by John Williams" and the re-release will be accompanied by a brand new 50th Anniversary poster.

That's just one of many new announcements which has been made as the countdown to the big anniversary continues, with a full year of celebrations planned by LucasFilm and Disney to mark the occasion.

A brand-new documentary titled The Hero Awakens has also been confirmed, with the film – directed by RJ Cutler (Elton John: Never Too Late) – set to be released on Disney+ on 4 May (aka Star Wars Day).

A brief description of the doc teases: "Detailing the making of Star Wars, this film features archival footage and audio captured during and around the making of the historic film in 1977."

Another potential highlight of the year is the release of new original movie Star Wars: Starfighter, which is led by Ryan Gosling and will arrive on 28 May – almost exactly 50 years to the day from the original's debut.

Meanwhile, there will also be various fan events throughout the year in addition to the release of all sorts of new merchandise.

The "marquee events" include Star Wars: A New Hope at Cosm in Shared Reality starting from March and both Star Wars Celebration and Star Wars in Concert: The Skywalker Saga at the beginning of April.

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"It is incredibly special to mark the 50th anniversary by returning the original version of Star Wars to theaters so audiences can experience this part of film history on the big screen,” Lucasfilm co-president Lynwen Brennan said.

"We look forward to celebrating with our fans all year long — from the releases of Ahsoka and Star Wars: Starfighter to exclusive merchandise, new publishing stories, unforgettable experiences and interactive games.

"We are so thankful for our amazing community and hope these experiences bring joy to Star Wars fans everywhere."

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Authors

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.