Star Wars fans are about to experience the IMAX double-feature of a lifetime! According to StarWars.com, both Star Wars: A New Hope and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter will be available to experience in glorious IMAX 70mm film in 2027.
A New Hope Enters the IMAX Galaxy
If you’re keeping score at home, this marks the first time A New Hope will be presented in IMAX, whether in digital or on film, as part of its highly anticipated anniversary re-release on February 19, 2027. As part of Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, the newly restored version of the original movie will be shown at select IMAX 70mm film locations and in select theaters for a limited time.
Shawn Levy’s Starfighter Takes Flight
Then, on May 28, 2027, the 50th anniversary weekend of the original Star Wars film’s premiere, Lucasfilm will release Star Wars: Starfighter. Filmed for an IMAX release, the movie was shot with IMAX-certified cameras and converted to IMAX 70mm film prints for release in a select number of IMAX film locations.
The project is being directed by Shawn Levy, who has assembled a stacked cast for the galactic adventure. Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) leads a star-studded lineup that includes Flynn Gray (Wednesday), Matt Smith (Caught Stealing), Mia Goth (Pearl), Aaron Pierre (Lanterns), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Jamael Westman (The Essex Serpent), Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen), and Amy Adams (Man of Steel). Levy also told Kevin McCarthy that Thomas Newman (American Beauty) will compose the score for Starfighter.
“I feel a profound sense of excitement and honor as we begin production on Star Wars: Starfighter,” said Levy when the project began. “From the day Kathy Kennedy called me up, inviting me to develop an original adventure in this incredible Star Wars galaxy, this experience has been a dream come true, creatively and personally. Star Wars shaped my sense of what story can do, how characters and cinematic moments can live with us forever. To join this storytelling galaxy with such brilliant collaborators onscreen and off, is the thrill of a lifetime.”
The 70mm Renaissance
Demand for 70mm IMAX versions of epic films is increasing after the massive success of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. According to Variety, the 70mm IMAX version of Nolan’s latest opus grossed $78 million at the global box office, often selling out in many locations for weeks. Recently, The Odyssey extended its IMAX residency through September for a historic 11-week run to help meet audience demand.
The IMAX screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope are sure to be a significant event for fans, with many likely to dress up for the occasion, lightsabers at the ready. While you could watch A New Hope at home on physical media, there’s nothing quite like seeing the film that started it all on a massive IMAX screen, let alone in 70mm. The epic sound design alone of a true IMAX theater is enough to make me want to travel to Toronto, where the better theaters are, just to feel the floor shake when the Star Destroyer first crosses the screen.
Are you planning to make the pilgrimage to catch A New Hope or Starfighter in 70mm IMAX in 2027? Let us know in the comments below!
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