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The force is stirring—but not in the way fans might expect. Before the Jedi Order fell, before Grogu ever sipped bone broth, before the Special Editions rewrote history frame by frame, Star Wars existed in a pure, unaltered form. And now, nearly 50 years after its debut, that version is finally returning to the big screen.
Since its release in 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope has become one of the most influential blockbusters in film history. The movie transformed its director, George Lucas, into a legend, reshaped Hollywood’s relationship with merchandising, and spawned a multibillion-dollar franchise that continues to expand across screens and streaming platforms.
Credit: Lucasfilm
Yet for all its cultural power, the original theatrical cut of the film has remained elusive. Over the decades, Lucas repeatedly altered the movie to reflect his evolving creative vision—tweaking dialogue, inserting digital characters, and infamously re-editing the cantina showdown between Han Solo and Greedo. For fans who grew up watching Solo shoot first, the official versions that followed have felt like revisions of history itself.
A Rare Screening for ‘Star Wars’
This summer, the British Film Institute is granting Star Wars purists a rare wish: the chance to see the unaltered 1977 version on 35mm film. The original print will screen twice on June 12 as part of the BFI’s Film on Film festival, which spotlights archival presentations of culturally significant films.
“One of the ambitions of the BFI Film on Film Festival is to screen original release prints that transport audiences back to the moment a film was first released,” said James Bell, senior curator of fiction at the BFI National Archive, in a statement to The Guardian. “In the case of Star Wars, the festival screening is a unique opportunity to present the film to audiences in exactly the same form as they would have watched it in 1977.”
Credit: Lucasfilm
The original cut’s return has long been hindered by Lucas’s own refusal to make it widely available. In interviews, he’s defended his changes, even telling the Associated Press, “I’m sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it, but I want it to be the way I want it to be.” Fans, however, have never stopped clamoring for the version that launched the galaxy far, far away.
The Future of ‘Star Wars’
The BFI’s screening comes at a complicated moment for the Star Wars franchise. Since The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters in 2019, the brand has retreated from cinemas. Although the film earned over $1 billion worldwide, its muddled plot and divisive reception marked a clear turning point for the saga’s theatrical era.
Lucasfilm pivoted to streaming instead, with mixed results. The Acolyte, set in the High Republic era, launched in 2024 with promising numbers but was canceled after one season. Despite a 78% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, the show struggled to maintain viewership and was marred by review-bombing campaigns targeting its progressive themes and inclusive cast.
Credit: Lucasfilm
Meanwhile, anticipation is building for The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will return the franchise to theaters under the direction of Jon Favreau. The movie marks Lucasfilm’s gamble on the popularity of its Disney+ characters and raises the question: can small-screen success translate to box office glory?
While the future of the franchise teeters between nostalgia and innovation, the BFI screening is a reminder of where it all began—before CGI Jabba, before Disney+, before the discourse. For one night only, fans can experience Star Wars as it first appeared, in grainy, glorious 35mm.
And for those lucky enough to get a ticket, that galaxy far, far away will feel a little closer once again.
