By Hannah Hunt
November 12, 2026
Ask a Star Wars fan which version of the first movie they want to see, and there’s a good chance they’ll have an answer down to the year. Lucasfilm is giving the 1977 theatrical cut a proper rerelease for the 50th anniversary. There’s something else coming out of the archive, too, and even the fans who can tell you exactly what changed between cuts haven’t seen it.
The anniversary will give fans another chance to see the Death Star blow up on a big screen. Disney and Lucasfilm’s latest announcement offers a chance to spend some time with the people who had to figure out how to blow it up in the first place. The companies announced Thursday that they’re opening up the production archive for a new movie about how the original Star Wars was made.
Eight honest questions about how you actually are: how you feel about rules, where your loyalty goes first, what you do when somebody criticises you in front of other people. Answer them and we will tell you whose side you would really have ended up on. Four factions are recruiting: the believers, the organisation, the ones with a code, and the ones with a price.
R.J. Cutler’s The Hero Awakens premieres May 4, 2027, on Disney+. The documentary is built entirely from previously unreleased footage and audio recorded during the making of the original Star Wars. The people who made the movie have had half a century to tell stories about what happened on set. Cutler gets to take audiences back to those days as they happened, when the people behind the Death Star still had shots to finish and nobody knew whether audiences would want a second movie.
There's plenty planned to celebrate the 50th of one of cinema's most beloved franchises. The restored 1977 theatrical cut returns to theaters on February 19, including select IMAX 70mm screenings. In late March, Cosm will present the 2019 version of A New Hope in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Los Angeles. The movie plays in the center of a 12K+ LED dome while the surrounding imagery changes with the action, taking audiences from Tatooine to the Death Star trench run. Tickets go on sale in 2027, and the experience will have an exclusive poster by Studio Number One.
Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, opens in theaters May 28 and will also play in select IMAX 70mm theaters. The anniversary lineup includes the sold-out Star Wars Celebration, a Skywalker Saga concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and an exhibition at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute. Hasbro opens preorders for its anniversary Black Series and Vintage Collection releases on November 13, and LEGO is making minifigures inspired by Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art.
The Hero Awakens streams May 4, 2027, on Disney+. The full Star Wars franchise, including the franchise’s latest theatrical release, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is available to stream on the platform as well.
