‘Star Wars’ gets a massive 50th anniversary treat with IMAX 70mm re-release
‘Star Wars’ fans are in for an absolute treat as Disney’s Lucasfilm will release its standalone film ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ in IMAX 70mm along with the re-release of George Lucas’ 1977 classic ‘Star Wars.’ The original film will be released in IMAX for the first time, in either digital or film, on February 19, 2027. Along with that, fans can also watch ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ on May 29, 2027, on the show’s 50th anniversary weekend. The official press release reads, “Part of Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, the newly restored version of the original movie, later renamed ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, will be shown across a select number of IMAX 70mm film locations as well as playing in select theaters for a limited time.”
While ‘Starfighter’ is the all-new film directed and produced by Shawn Levy, the standalone project is set in the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Ryan Gosling plays a cynical rogue, Kade Auberon, who is then confronted by his mysterious past and drawn into a dangerous adventure across the galaxy. That puts him into “a crash course with destiny.” The IMAX-certified version was shot on IMAX-certified cameras and will be converted into IMAX 70mm film prints. By release, the 70mm prints will be sent to a select number of IMAX release locations.
Along with Ryan Gosling, ‘Starfighter’ features Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, Mia Goth, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Amy Adams, and Flynn Gray. Jonathan Tropper wrote the film. The producer team includes Levy and Kathleen Kennedy, along with lead actor Gosling, Dan Levine, Dave Filoni, Mary McLaglen, and Josh McLaglen as executive producers.
For fans who might not know, the 18K IMAX 70mm format was launched 60 years ago by the large-format company. However, it is still only available at a handful of cinemas globally. From these select IMAX 70mm locations, they have generated a record $78 million in global box office this year. Since Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ was released this year, it has become the highest-grossing film ever after earning over $486 million worldwide.
