Experience the original Star Wars in IMAX 70mm for the very first time!

Han will shoot first in 70 mm IMAX when the original Star Wars makes its triumphant return to theaters next year. Lucasfilm and IMAX have confirmed that the 50th anniversary rerelease of Star Wars will hit the biggest screens available in February, giving fans a compelling reason to head back to the cinema.

In an official announcement, it was revealed that Star Wars “will be shown across a select number of IMAX 70 mm film locations as well as playing in select theaters for a limited time.”

But that’s not all for Star Wars fans next year. The stand-alone adventure Star Wars: Starfighter is also set to receive the deluxe IMAX treatment. Scheduled for release on May 28, 2027, Star Wars: Starfighter was filmed specifically for IMAX using IMAX-certified cameras and will be available in select IMAX film locations.

Directed by Shawn Levy, known for his work on Deadpool & Wolverine and Stranger Things, the film stars Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon, “a cynical rogue” thrust into a perilous adventure across the galaxy that leads him to confront his destiny. The cast also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray, and Amy Adams, with a script penned by Jonathan Tropper.

IMAX had previously confirmed a 2027 release for the original Star Wars, offering a rare chance to experience George Lucas’ 1977 sci-fi classic in its original form, free from the alterations and digital effects added over the years.

Lucas is well-known for revisiting and modifying the edits and special effects throughout the original trilogy. For the franchise’s 20th anniversary, Lucasfilm released the “Special Edition” trilogy in theaters, which featured significant changes and new scenes enhanced with cutting-edge computer graphics. This trend of tinkering continued for decades, leading to the infamous “Maclunkey Cut” of A New Hope on Disney Plus.

In 2025, former Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy collaborated with the British Film Institute to screen what is said to be the earliest cut of Star Wars, untouched by Lucas’ desire to “perfect” it. The BFI even went the extra mile to prepare the film reels, locating an old, complete version of the original crawl before “A New Hope” was added to the title.

As Lucasfilm hinted at plans to bring Star Wars back to theaters, fans speculated about which version they would see. Lucas himself has stated that the original versions “will disappear,” suggesting that, in his view, the unaltered versions “[don’t] really exist anymore.” For years, fans who lament the changes made to Star Wars have had to rely on old VHS and Laserdisc copies or fan-made restorations.

But soon, they’ll have the opportunity to experience the original on a grand scale — if they can snag tickets.

Star Wars returns to theaters on Feb. 19, 2027.

Soon I’m gonna be a Jedi…