Star Wars Is Heading to IMAX 70mm for the First Time

Star Wars is preparing for its biggest film-format upgrade yet. The original 1977 movie and the new Star Wars: Starfighter will both receive IMAX 70mm presentations in 2027, marking the franchise’s first release in the large-format film process.

Star Wars IMAX 70mm dates are set

Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope will return to theaters on February 19 as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration. Variety and Deadline report that the engagement will be the first IMAX presentation of the original film in either digital or 70mm form. Digital IMAX screenings are also planned, giving audiences more ways to see the rerelease beyond the smaller group of venues equipped for 70mm projection.

Star Wars: Starfighter follows on May 28, 2027, exactly 50 years after the first movie’s original debut. The standalone adventure is directed and produced by Shawn Levy, with Ryan Gosling playing Kade Auberon, a cynical rogue pulled into a dangerous journey connected to his past.

A new chapter outside the Skywalker timeline

The announced cast also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams. Jonathan Tropper wrote the screenplay, while Kathleen Kennedy joins Levy as a producer. The project is being presented as a story set during a period not previously explored on the big screen.

The twin release plan gives Lucasfilm a straightforward anniversary strategy: celebrate the movie that launched the franchise, then introduce a new theatrical story in the same premium format three months later. It also links nostalgia to the studio’s next major attempt to build momentum around a fresh set of characters.

IMAX 70mm engagements typically depend on a limited network of specially equipped theaters, so local availability will vary when tickets eventually go on sale. The digital IMAX rollout should be substantially broader. Theater lists, ticket dates and the exact length of the February rerelease have not yet been detailed in the reports.