Star Wars is heading to IMAX 70mm for the first time: the 1977 original returns on 19 February 2027 for its 50th anniversary, and Shawn Levy’s Ryan Gosling film Starfighter follows on 28 May — both in IMAX 70mm and digital IMAX, according to Variety.
Jordan Moreau, writing for Variety, says the February re-release “marks the first time the original 1977 Star Wars movie has received an Imax screening of any kind.” Lucasfilm has already dated the limited theatrical return of the newly restored 1977 cut on StarWars.com; Variety is the source tying that run — and Starfighter — to IMAX 70mm film prints as well as digital IMAX screens.
Star Wars hits IMAX 70mm for the first time
Variety reports that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope will play IMAX 70mm when it re-releases on 19 February 2027, with digital IMAX alongside. The same piece says next year’s standalone Star Wars: Starfighter — directed by Shawn Levy, with Gosling as hotshot pilot Kade Auberon — opens on 28 May 2027, exactly 50 years after the original film’s 1977 debut, also in IMAX 70mm and digital IMAX.
An earlier IMAX investor slate, covered by fan press in March 2026, already showed 2027 IMAX calendar slots for the 50th re-release and Starfighter. Variety’s 8 September report notes that those engagements are being upgraded to IMAX 70mm and states that the 1977 film has never had an IMAX screening of any kind before.
Starfighter cast, crew and the 50th-year stack
Gosling’s Kade Auberon is framed by Variety as a cynical rogue whose mysterious past hurls him into a galaxy-spanning adventure. The cast list matches Lucasfilm’s earlier announcements: Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams. Jonathan Tropper wrote the script; Levy and Kathleen Kennedy produce; Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen and Josh McLaglen executive produce. tbreak has already covered the D23 first-look and poster push in Starfighter at D23 and the “wrong side of the galaxy” plot framing.
No official public trailer is online yet — the D23 teaser stayed in the room — so there is nothing clean to embed until Lucasfilm posts one.
Why 70mm matters now — and what UAE viewers should know
Variety links the IMAX 70mm push to the format’s 2026 boom around Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, citing record per-screen averages for the handful of 70mm IMAX sites worldwide. tbreak has tracked that run in The Odyssey’s international billion and related box-office notes, including UAE IMAX interest around Nolan’s film.
For the UAE, no local IMAX or cinema listing dates have been announced for the February A New Hope re-release or May’s Starfighter. Treat both as global theatrical news for now; UAE IMAX and VOX/Novo/Reel showtimes can follow when distributors post them. Recent Star Wars theatrical traffic on tbreak includes where to watch The Mandalorian and Grogu in the UAE once that title left cinemas.
Key dates: A New Hope 50th re-release — 19 February 2027 (first-ever IMAX for the 1977 film; IMAX 70mm + digital IMAX per Variety). Star Wars: Starfighter — 28 May 2027 (IMAX 70mm + digital IMAX per Variety). UAE IMAX dates — not announced.
When does A New Hope return to theatres?
Variety and StarWars.com date the 50th-anniversary re-release of the 1977 film for 19 February 2027, for a limited theatrical run.
Is this the first IMAX screening of the 1977 Star Wars?
Yes, according to Variety, the 19 February 2027 re-release is the first time the original 1977 film has received an IMAX screening of any kind, including IMAX 70mm and digital IMAX.
When does Star Wars: Starfighter open?
StarWars.com and Variety date Star Wars: Starfighter for 28 May 2027. Variety says it will also play in IMAX 70mm and digital IMAX.
Who stars in Starfighter?
Ryan Gosling plays Kade Auberon. Variety and Lucasfilm also list Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams. Shawn Levy directed; Jonathan Tropper wrote the script.
Is there an official Starfighter trailer?
Not publicly. A teaser was shown to the D23 live audience in August 2026, but Lucasfilm has not posted an official YouTube trailer as of 8 September 2026.
Are UAE IMAX dates announced?
No. Tbreak has not found VOX Cinemas, Novo Cinemas or Reel Cinemas listings, or any UAE-specific IMAX dates, for the February A New Hope re-release or May’s Starfighter. Treat the news as global until local showtimes appear.
