Star Wars Original Trilogy Theatrical Release: Will Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi Come to Theaters as Well?

With Star Wars: A New Hope coming back to theaters in April 2027, fans are wondering if the rest of the original trilogy is getting a theatrical release as well. Given the continued enthusiasm fans have for A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, you’d think Disney would put them back in theaters once a year and reap the dividends. However, if you’re hoping to see the Star Wars original trilogy on the big screen back to back, you’re likely going to be disappointed.

Will Disney put The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in theaters again?

It was announced that Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope is returning to theaters on April 30, 2027, to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary. However, there are no plans to show The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi in theaters. The last time all three films were in theaters in the US together was when the Special Edition was released in 1997. Since then, there have been sporadic re-releases of the movies worldwide, but US audiences haven’t gotten to see A New Hope on the big screen for almost 30 years.

If Disney decides to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in the same manner, we could see them in theaters in 2030 and 2033. Unfortunately, the company has decided that the 1997 Special Editions are the definitive versions of the film, so who knows if we’ll ever see the original cuts get an official release, in theaters or otherwise, again.

Luckily, if you do a little searching, you can recreate your own theatrical experience with the assistance of some fan projects. Alternatively, the 2020 Skywalker Saga 4K UHD Blu-rays or Disney+ give an acceptable means to experience the original trilogy at home.