The Force is heading to IMAX 70mm.
The original Star Wars and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter will both receive IMAX 70mm film presentations in 2027, marking the first time movies from the Star Wars universe will be shown in the premium film format.
The announcement gives fans two very different opportunities to experience the galaxy far, far away on IMAX 70mm: a newly restored version of the movie that started it all and an entirely new adventure starring Ryan Gosling.
Original Star Wars Is Coming to IMAX for the First Time
The 1977 Star Wars will return to theaters beginning February 19, 2027 as part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The newly restored version of the original theatrical release — later retitled Star Wars: A New Hope — will be presented in IMAX for the first time ever. Select IMAX locations will take the anniversary celebration one step further by screening the movie from IMAX 70mm film prints.
Lucasfilm previously announced the February re-release as part of a yearlong celebration leading up to the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, which originally opened in theaters on May 25, 1977.
Star Wars: Starfighter Is Also Getting an IMAX 70mm Release
The celebration continues Memorial Day weekend when director Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter arrives in theaters on May 28, 2027.
The new standalone adventure was shot using IMAX-certified cameras as a Filmed For IMAX production. The finished movie will be converted to IMAX 70mm film prints for screenings at a select number of IMAX film locations.
Ryan Gosling stars as Kade Auberon, a cynical rogue from the wrong side of the galaxy whose mysterious past sends him on a dangerous adventure and puts him on a collision course with destiny.
The movie takes place in a previously unexplored period of the Star Wars timeline and follows an entirely new group of characters. Gosling is joined by Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams.
What Is Star Wars: Starfighter About?
New details revealed at D23 describe Kade Auberon as a man whose fate becomes intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.
Levy has described the standalone movie as a character-driven adventure built around the themes of hope, family and adventure that have defined Star Wars while exploring a part of the galaxy audiences haven’t previously seen on screen.
Jonathan Tropper wrote Star Wars: Starfighter, with Levy and Kathleen Kennedy producing. Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen and Josh McLaglen serve as executive producers.
Why Is IMAX 70mm Different?
IMAX 70mm is one of the rarest theatrical presentation formats, available at only a limited number of specially equipped theaters around the world. The large-format film presentation has experienced a resurgence as moviegoers increasingly seek out premium screenings of major theatrical releases.
That makes the 2027 releases particularly notable for Star Wars. After nearly five decades of theatrical releases and re-releases, the franchise will finally reach IMAX 70mm with both its original movie and one of its newest adventures during the same anniversary year.
When Are Star Wars and Star Wars: Starfighter Coming to Theaters?
The newly restored 50th anniversary edition of Star Wars begins its theatrical re-release on February 19, 2027, with select theaters presenting the movie in IMAX 70mm film.
Star Wars: Starfighter opens exclusively in theaters May 28, 2027, during the 50th anniversary weekend of the original film. Select IMAX locations will also present Starfighter from IMAX 70mm film prints.
Thomas Miller is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Seat42F, covering television, movies and streaming entertainment. He launched Seat42F in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades covering the entertainment industry.
