When George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, it seemed the millions of voices calling for the OG ’77 cut of Star Wars cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Lucas had long been protective of his revised Special Editions, insisting they were the definitive versions of Star Wars, and the sale seemed to cement that stance. The word on the street was bleak: whatever corporate agreements were struck, they effectively ensured that the original 1977 theatrical cut would never see the light of day again from prisoner cell block 1138.
But we know it’s possible to break out of that cell – and now, more than a decade later, that belief has been vaporized like Alderaan.
Now Lucasfilm has confirmed – in what it called “a once-in-a-generation event” – that the original theatrical version of Star Wars will return to cinemas on February 17, 2027, just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary. And yes, this is actually the 1977 edition. No CGI creatures. No digital Jabba. No Greedo shooting first. Or at the same time. The release is described as a newly restored presentation of the untouched theatrical print, screened for a limited time.
A Return Nobody Expected
For years, the Special Editions dominated every format. They were the only versions shown in theaters, the only versions released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the only versions available on streaming.
The original cut lingered in private collections, niche screenings, and grainy VHS tapes. Or, if you knew how, some online restorations by some very talented people who spent many years combining what was available to create “de-specialised” versions. Which are very good. (Hat tip to Harmy, whose name will be long remembered by fans who craved the originals. You can watch his latest update here).
Earlier in 2024, when Lucasfilm announced plans to bring Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope) back to theaters for its big anniversary year, the fandom braced for another round of speculation: would Lucasfilm stick to the modern canon Special Edition, or dare to revisit the mythic original? It turns out they chose the latter.
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Hints We Missed Along the Way
In hindsight, Lucasfilm had been dropping quiet clues. Last year, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy attended a rare screening of an archival print of the theatrical cut. Fans noticed. Commentators wondered. Why would Lucasfilm’s top executive show up for a version that had been deliberately kept out of circulation?
Now the answer is obvious: preparations were already underway.
There are also reports suggesting the anniversary release may include IMAX screenings. Lucasfilm hasn’t confirmed this yet, but the rumour has gathered momentum across industry tracking sites.
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A New Release Window and a New Strategy
Interestingly, the re-release was originally dated for April 30, 2027, only a few weeks before the upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter. That timing would have created a packed schedule, possibly even overshadowing Lucasfilm’s new theatrical push.
Instead, the studio has moved the anniversary event up to February. It’s earlier in the year, free of blockbuster congestion, and now positioned as a standalone celebration of the movie that started it all.
Expect demand to be intense. An entire generation of fans has never seen the unaltered film on a big screen.
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What Awaits in 2027
More details will roll out throughout next year, but the significance of this moment is already clear. For the first time in decades, audiences will be able to experience Star Wars not as a modern digital hybrid, but as the film that captured imaginations in 1977 -/im with its original pacing, practical effects, and pre-1997 editorial decisions intact.
The impossible has happened. The unthinkable is now scheduled. And in February 2027, the world returns to the version of Star Wars that changed cinema forever.
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