The Original Theatrical Cut of ‘Star Wars’ Is Coming Back to Theaters

[osu1991]

It's Official: The Original Theatrical Cut of 'Star Wars' Is Coming Back to Theaters

Lucasfilm is celebrating the film's 50th anniversary on February 17, 2027, in the best possible way.

gizmodo.com

A day Star Wars fans never thought would happen is finally happening. Lucasfilm and Disney are rereleasing the original version of Star Wars in theaters for its 50th anniversary. It'll happen on February 17, 2027, and io9 has confirmed with Lucasfilm that it is, in fact, the original theatrical cut of the movie. This will be "a newly restored version of the classic Star Wars (1977) theatrical release" that will play in theaters for a limited time.

 

[harshness]

This reminds me of an episode of TBBT where Penny asks Leonard why he's so excited about watching Star Wars on Blu-ray as they've seen the movie hundreds of times and his response is that they've only seen the Blu-ray version twice.

 

[cpalmer2k]

Never been much of a Star Wars fan, but I'll go see this just because it is the original.

 

[TRG]

50 year anniversary? I feel old.

 

[Foxbat]

So, will Han shoot first?

 

[jayn_j]

So, will Han shoot first?

And will someone yell to open the blast doors?

 

[osu1991]

First movie I saw in a theater. I was 7 yrs old. Wish my dad was still here to go see it with again.

 

[telstar_1]

I certainly thought it would happen. Theaters are so starved for compelling product these days that a significant proportion of their offerings now consist of "retro" re-issues of decades-old successful films, often with an anniversary "justification" such as with the currently ongoing reappearance of some from 1985.

I first saw it in a theater in downtown Peoria that was demolished a few years later for the Civic Center. I was about Luke's age and could drive there. My dad was not in any manner a moviegoer.

 

[telstar_1]

And will someone yell to open the blast doors?

No one yelled for HAL to open the pod bay doors when I saw that movie a few years ago in 70mm.

 

[TRG]

First movie I saw in a theater. I was 7 yrs old. Wish my dad was still here to go see it with again.

I was in high school and went with my friends. I believe we smoked a controlled substance from Columbia rolled in a zig zag on the way to the theater. It was the 70's after all.

 

[harshness]

Theaters are so starved for compelling product these days that a significant proportion of their offerings now consist of "retro" re-issues of decades-old successful films, often with an anniversary "justification" such as with the currently ongoing reappearance of some from 1985.

As noted in the article, this is less about theaters ("limited time") and more about trying to make the soup go further.

 

[Foxbat]

And will someone yell to open the blast doors?

No one yelled for HAL to open the pod bay doors when I saw that movie a few years ago in 70mm.

It was a Storm Tropper yelling to "Open the blast doors!" after telling them to close them earlier so our heroes would be trapped in the corridor. It was a humorous moment in the middle of all the action. This sequence was missing from later theatrical versions.

 

[jayn_j]

It was a Storm Tropper yelling to "Open the blast doors!" after telling them to close them earlier so our heroes would be trapped in the corridor. It was a humorous moment in the middle of all the action. This sequence was missing from later theatrical versions.

I remember laughing at this when I saw it on opening night. Told my date about it when we went to see it 3 months later, and it had been cut. Embarrassing. I was really surprised that the film had been edited while still in first release.

 

[jayn_j]

Fun fact. Theater owners were reluctant to book a Sci fi film with unknown cast, so Fox set up a deal where Star Wars was tied to an expected blockbuster, The Other Side of Midnight. If you showed one, you needed to show the other. Months later Star Wars was packing them in, while Midnight played to totally empty theaters.