Depending on how you clock these things, it’s been almost half a century since Star Wars was shown in its original theatrical form. Within a few years, George Lucas began tinkering with the movie. By 1981, for example, Lucas had altered the opening crawl to add the phrase “EPISODE IV — A NEW HOPE” denoting his larger plans for the franchise and the idea that the first film was actually the fourth story in a massive ongoing saga.
Further minor alterations happened throughout the 1980s and ’90s but then far more drastic changes occurred in 1997 with the debut of the “Special Editions” that added new special effects and new scenes. And since then, the old school Star Wars has largely been unavailable at George Lucas’ behest. (Maclunkey.)
The Special Editions were made for Star Wars’ 20th anniversary. For its 50th anniversary, the original Star Wars will finally return. According to StarWars.com, Lucasfilm plans to “celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Wars with a re-release of the 1977 original back for a limited time, in theaters everywhere.”
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The film screened in theaters will be “a newly restored version of the classic Star Wars (1977) theatrical release — later renamed Star Wars: A New Hope.”
Some have suspected this news was coming since last April, when, for the first time in decades, Lucasfilm permitted a public screening of the original Star Wars theatrical cut at the BFI in London.
It’s a fitting way to honor the film’s 50th anniversary. And, somewhat ironically, the first vision of Star Wars has been kept out of theaters for so long that it will likely be nearly as big of an event as the Special Editions were in 1997.
Star Wars — in its original form — will finally return to theaters on February 19, 2027.
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