The theatrical re-release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was very successful for Disney. Thanks to the event, the Prequel has now earned over $900 million at the global box office over the two decades since its re-release. Viewers who weren’t alive when the movie was released for the first time got the opportunity to witness Anakin Skywalker’s (Hayden Christensen) descent to the dark side on the big screen. In addition to that, the studio found a way to put Star Wars back in theaters while they work on the next adventures set in the galaxy far, far away.
Now that the re-release strategy proves to be successful for Disney, there are a few projects from Lucasfilm that should return to the big screen in the near future. The Mandalorian & Grogu is currently scheduled to be released on May 22, 2026. It will be followed by Star Wars: Starfighter on May 28, 2027. That’s plenty of time for previous movies to be re-released, while Lucasfilm works on the stories that will define the future of the galaxy far, far away. Revenge of the Sith made it clear that audiences love to see this franchise on the big screen, and it’s been too long since Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker brought the Skywalker Saga to an end. Here are some of the Lucasfilm movies that should return to cinemas in the near future:
1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If Disney really wants to keep the momentum going, launching the movie directed by J.J. Abrams again represents a massive opportunity for the studio. The potential re-release would also inflate the box office impact Disney will have thanks to Avatar: Fire and Ash during the upcoming holiday movie season. As if that wasn’t enough, the anniversary of The Force Awakens will arrive just a few months before the release date of The Mandalorian and Grogu. The first trailer for the story starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver could debut with the re-release of the first installment of the Sequel Trilogy.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens marked the beginning of a new era for both Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise. Since the release of Revenge of the Sith, the series had remained dormant. The Clone Wars and Rebels helped viewers deal with the void left by the lack of live-action theatrical releases. Thankfully, the introduction of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) allowed the galaxy far, far away to be at the center of the pop culture conversation once again. Most of the current fans of the franchise were around for the original release of this film. Since nostalgia has always been a selling point for Star Wars, there’s no reason to believe viewers wouldn’t return for another dose of The Force Awakens.
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2) Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny failed to live up to the expectations both Disney and viewers from all over the world had for it. The movie didn’t become a global box office success. And, judging by the critical reaction to the project, people didn’t get to experience the Indiana Jones magic that turned the original movies into pop culture legends. There’s no way to turn back the clock and change what happened with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. But the reputation of the brand could be restored if people got to experience the introduction of the character in cinemas one more time. Much of Jones´ journey was expanded thanks to the sequels. The adventurer’s legacy would’ve never been established if it weren’t for Raiders of the Lost Ark.
3) Solo: A Star Wars Story
Solo: A Star Wars Story was released during a time when Disney thought its movie brand was invincible. Most of the movies the company sent to theaters became global box office hits. So when Disney chose to release Solo a few weeks after the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War, the studio was met with probably its biggest reality check of the decade. The prequel, starring Alden Ehrenreich as the lovely scoundrel made popular by Harrison Ford, bombed at the box office. With only $393 million in ticket sales, it was clear that audiences didn’t care about a younger version of a character they had already come to know (and grieve).
Solo: A Star Wars Story deserves to be back in theaters. The critical reception of the film was mostly positive. In the years that have passed since its original release, more people have come to love the movie directed by Ron Howard. Emilia Clarke starred as Qi’ra and Woody Harrelson starred as Tobias Beckett. With these new, charismatic additions to the franchise, there are plenty of reasons to love Han’s origin story. A re-release would never compensate for what Disney lost during the movie’s launch, but putting it on the big screen once again could allow new members of the audience to fall in love with this colorful journey.
All Star Wars movies are available for streaming on Disney+.
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