Fifty years after its original release, Star Wars will be shown on an IMAX screen for the first time.
Lucasfilm announced on Aug. 8 local time that the 1977 film Star Wars will return to theaters on Feb. 19, 2027, as part of celebrations marking the film’s 50th anniversary.
This rerelease will mark the first time Star Wars has been shown in the IMAX format. However, it will not be presented on film in every IMAX theater. Lucasfilm said the movie will be screened on IMAX 70mm film at select venues.
The key question is which version will be shown
Fans are paying close attention to which version of the film will be released this time.
Lucasfilm described the print as a “newly restored version of the original movie.”
It remains unclear, however, whether “the original movie” refers to the version first shown in theaters in 1977. Lucasfilm has not said whether scenes added or altered after the 1997 Special Edition were removed, nor has it disclosed which source material was used for the restoration.
A Special Edition of Star Wars was released in 1997 to mark the 20th anniversary of the film’s original release. It included visual effects and scenes that George Lucas had modified or added. Further changes were made in several subsequent releases.
One well-known example is the standoff between Han Solo and the bounty hunter Greedo. The depiction of the shooting differs between the 1977 theatrical release and later versions, fueling a long-running debate among fans.
The original 1977 theatrical version has also been screened officially. In June 2025, the British Film Institute showed Star Wars at its Film on Film Festival using an IB Technicolor print produced for the film’s 1977 release in the United Kingdom.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the restored version for the 50th anniversary will contain the same material as that 1977 theatrical version.
Star Wars: Starfighter set for release on May 28
The new film Star Wars: Starfighter will be released on May 28, 2027. The date is scheduled around the 50th anniversary of the first Star Wars film’s U.S. release on May 25, 1977.
Shawn Levy will direct the film, with Ryan Gosling in the lead role. Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams are also part of the cast.
Lucasfilm said that Starfighter will also be shown on 70mm film at select IMAX theaters.
IMAX 70mm screenings will be difficult in South Korea
There are currently no theaters in South Korea operating IMAX 70mm film projection equipment.
The best-known facility in South Korea to have operated a film-based IMAX system was the IMAX theater at Seoul’s 63 Building. It opened in 1985 and ended operations in August 2015.
South Korea’s current IMAX theaters use digital or laser projection systems. The IMAX theater at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall is equipped with an IMAX GT laser system, allowing screenings in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio.
Therefore, even if the 50th-anniversary rerelease of Star Wars and Star Wars: Starfighter are released in IMAX in South Korea, screenings on IMAX 70mm film would be difficult with the facilities currently available.
Domestic release dates and specific screening formats for both films have not yet been announced.