The original Star Wars is finally going to IMAX. Lucasfilm says its newly restored 1977 film, later renamed Star Wars: A New Hope, will return on February 19, 2027 and play in IMAX for the first time. The same announcement gives Star Wars: Starfighter its own large-format distinction: the Ryan Gosling adventure will reach select IMAX 70mm film locations when it opens May 28, 2027.
The Star Wars IMAX dates at a glance
- Star Wars (1977): February 19, 2027, for a limited theatrical re-release.
- A New Hope IMAX first: Lucasfilm calls this the 1977 movie’s first presentation in IMAX, whether digital or on film.
- IMAX 70mm: the restored original will play at a select number of IMAX 70mm film locations.
- Star Wars: Starfighter: May 28, 2027, with IMAX 70mm film prints planned for select IMAX film locations.
- Starfighter story: a standalone adventure led by Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon and directed by Shawn Levy.
- Still unannounced: theater lists, ticket-sale times, engagement lengths, final presentation details and a public Starfighter trailer.
What did Lucasfilm announce for Star Wars in IMAX?
Lucasfilm paired two 2027 events in one September 8 announcement. The first reaches back to the beginning of the franchise: a newly restored version of Star Wars (1977) will return to theaters as part of the studio’s yearlong 50th-anniversary celebration. The film will play in regular select theaters and in IMAX, including a smaller group equipped for IMAX 70mm film.
The second looks forward. Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled for the 50th-anniversary weekend of the original film’s premiere. Lucasfilm says Shawn Levy’s production was made for IMAX release and that IMAX 70mm film prints will be produced for select locations. Those are two separate releases, three months apart, not a double feature or one continuous engagement.
When is A New Hope returning to theaters?
The re-release begins February 19, 2027. Lucasfilm first announced that date in December 2025, saying the movie would return “for a limited time.” The September update adds the important format news: this will be the first time the original 1977 Star Wars has been presented in IMAX, and the rollout includes both digital IMAX and IMAX 70mm film.
The announcement does not supply a worldwide territory chart, a full cinema list or an end date. “Select theaters” and “a select number” of IMAX 70mm sites are the boundaries Lucasfilm gives today. Readers should not assume every IMAX auditorium will receive a film print, or that every regular theater will keep the anniversary release for the same number of days.
Is this the first Star Wars movie ever shown in IMAX?
It is the first IMAX release for the original 1977 movie, not the first use of IMAX anywhere in the franchise. Lucasfilm’s wording is specific to the film that began the saga. Other Star Wars titles have had IMAX presentations before; the new milestone is bringing the restored original to that format for the first time.
The studio also separates digital IMAX from IMAX 70mm film in the announcement. The restored movie can be shown in IMAX either digitally or on film, while only selected film-capable venues will receive the 70mm presentation. A ticket labeled simply “IMAX” therefore does not by itself confirm a 70mm print.
Does Lucasfilm mean the untouched 1977 theatrical cut?
That has not been confirmed. Lucasfilm calls the release a “newly restored version” of the classic Star Wars (1977) theatrical release, noting that the movie was later renamed A New Hope. The announcement does not identify the exact picture master, edit, sound mix, aspect ratio or restoration team. It would be inaccurate to turn the phrase “1977 theatrical release” into a promise that later changes have been removed.
That distinction matters because format and version are different questions. IMAX 70mm describes how a print will be projected; it does not tell viewers which editorial cut is on that print. Lucasfilm says more ticketing and location details are coming, but it has not yet promised a specific historical version of the film.
How does Starfighter fit into the 50th anniversary?
Star Wars: Starfighter opens on May 28, 2027, the Memorial Day weekend marking 50 years since the original Star Wars reached theaters. The date was already official; the September news is its confirmed IMAX 70mm film plan. Lucasfilm says the movie was shot with IMAX-certified film cameras and will be converted to IMAX 70mm film prints for a select number of IMAX film locations.
The announcement does not name the camera model, expanded aspect ratio, amount of footage using any expanded frame, or the number of prints. Those technical details should remain open until Lucasfilm or IMAX publishes them. The confirmed promise is narrower and still significant: selected audiences can see a physical IMAX 70mm presentation on opening weekend.
What is Star Wars: Starfighter about?
Ryan Gosling plays Kade Auberon, a cynical rogue whose mysterious past throws him into a dangerous trip across the galaxy. Lucasfilm positions the movie as an all-new standalone adventure rather than another numbered Skywalker episode. The story takes place in a period the films have not explored before, about five years after The Rise of Skywalker.
For the fuller character and timeline breakdown, read Pixel Twelve’s guide to Kade Auberon. The format announcement does not add a new plot revelation or release the D23 footage publicly. It changes how the movie will reach a portion of its audience, not what Lucasfilm has disclosed about Kade’s mission.
Who is making Starfighter?
Shawn Levy directs and produces from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper. Kathleen Kennedy also produces. Gosling, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Dave Filoni and Dan Levine are executive producers. The announced cast includes Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings and Amy Adams.
Lucasfilm’s current synopsis names only Gosling’s character. It has not attached public character names to the other cast members in this IMAX announcement. It has also not posted a public trailer: the first footage shown at D23 was described as exclusive to the live audience. Images or plot claims circulating without Lucasfilm attribution remain outside the confirmed record.
What is still unannounced?
- Locations: no complete list of IMAX 70mm, digital IMAX or standard theaters has been published for either release.
- Tickets: Lucasfilm has not announced an on-sale date, prices, presales or collectible offers.
- Presentation details: the exact restoration version for Star Wars and the camera, aspect-ratio and print counts for Starfighter remain unspecified.
- Runtime and ratings: the announcement adds no new runtime, rating or final technical specification for Starfighter.
- Starfighter trailer: there is still no officially released public trailer in the sources checked on September 8.
Star Wars IMAX 70mm FAQ
When does A New Hope return in IMAX?
The restored Star Wars (1977), later renamed A New Hope, returns February 19, 2027. Lucasfilm says it will play for a limited time in select theaters, including digital IMAX presentations and selected IMAX 70mm film locations.
Will Star Wars: Starfighter have IMAX 70mm prints?
Yes. Lucasfilm says Starfighter will be converted to IMAX 70mm film prints for a select number of IMAX film locations when it opens May 28, 2027. The participating theaters have not been listed yet.
Are tickets or IMAX 70mm locations available yet?
Not from Lucasfilm’s announcement. The studio has not published a ticket-sale time or complete venue list. Confirm the exact format with the theater when listings appear; an IMAX screening is not automatically an IMAX 70mm film screening.
What this announcement changes
The 2027 calendar now has two distinct Star Wars large-format events. February belongs to the restored original and its first IMAX run; May belongs to Starfighter and its selected IMAX 70mm prints. The dates are official, the format commitments are official, and the limits are just as important: locations and tickets are still to come.
For now, the useful move is to save February 19 and May 28, then wait for a verified local listing before choosing a format. Browse the Pixel Twelve Movies hub for more confirmed theatrical dates and format updates.
