Lucasfilm and Disney have announced a year-long Star Wars 50th anniversary celebration for 2027, led by the original 1977 Star Wars returning to theaters on February 19, Ahsoka Season 2 on Disney+ on January 20 and Star Wars: Starfighter in theaters on May 28. The slate also includes a Hollywood Bowl concert, a new Disney+ documentary, a Philadelphia museum exhibition and anniversary collections from Hasbro, LEGO and more.
The announcement came 50 days before the anniversary year begins on January 1. “It is incredibly special to mark the 50th anniversary by returning the original version of Star Wars to theaters so audiences can experience this part of film history on the big screen,” said Lucasfilm Co-President Lynwen Brennan. The celebration also gets a new 50th anniversary logo with a newly orchestrated score by John Williams.
Star Wars 50th Anniversary Timeline
- Friday, November 13, 2026: Hasbro preorders open for new Black Series, Vintage Collection and Retro figures inspired by the 1977 film
- Friday, January 1, 2027: The seven-set LEGO Star Wars 50th anniversary collection arrives at LEGO.com and LEGO Stores
- Wednesday, January 20: Ahsoka Season 2 premieres on Disney+, with Rosario Dawson back as Ahsoka and Grand Admiral Thrawn as the threat
- Saturday, February 13: Star Wars: The Experience opens at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
- Friday, February 19: The restored original 1977 Star Wars returns to theaters worldwide
- March 2027: Star Wars: A New Hope comes to Cosm’s LED dome venues in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles
- April 1 to 4: Star Wars Celebration takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center, already sold out
- April 2 and 3: Star Wars in Concert: The Skywalker Saga plays the Hollywood Bowl, hosted by Anthony Daniels
- Tuesday, May 4: The Hero Awakens, R.J. Cutler’s documentary on the making of Star Wars, debuts on Disney+
- Tuesday, May 25: The actual 50th anniversary of Star Wars opening in theaters on May 25, 1977
- Friday, May 28: Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, opens in theaters
The theatrical release is the headline for us. Lucasfilm calls it a restored version of “the original 1977 version” of Star Wars, playing on thousands of screens in IMAX 70mm, Digital IMAX, 70mm, 35mm, 4DX, D-BOX and more, as we covered when IMAX 70mm was confirmed for both Star Wars and Starfighter. Ticket details are still to come. Lucasfilm has not said which edits fans will see, but the Cosm version is specifically listed as the 2019 Disney+ edition, while the theatrical run is billed as the 1977 original. Fans who have waited decades to see the original cut on the big screen will want to watch for more details.
The Hollywood Bowl concert is a nice full-circle moment, since the Bowl hosted the very first official Star Wars concert in November 1977. The Hero Awakens is built entirely from archival footage and audio from the making of the 1977 film, and it comes from Lucasfilm, Cutler, This Machine and Kennedy/Marshall. You can also catch Star Wars Funday Football on Disney+ on February 14, the week before the re-release.
Star Wars 50th Anniversary Merchandise
The collectibles start right away. Hasbro’s preorders open November 13, including a new Star Wars Retro wave of 3.75-inch figures styled after the original Kenner toys, coming exclusively to Target in spring 2027. That wave includes a Rebel Fleet Trooper and Stormtrooper two-pack, a Jawa and Tusken Raider two-pack, a C-3PO, R2-D2 and Death Squad Commander set, and single figures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader.
LEGO’s seven-set collection covers artwork, vehicles, helmets and display models, and every set comes with exclusive minifigures inspired by Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art and a collectible poster tile. Aston Martin is joining the celebration with exclusive activations and products, and adidas, Mars, Steinway and Hajime Sorayama presented by Complex have collections on the way. Theater chains usually roll out collectibles for big Star Wars releases, and we will track every one on our Movie Theater Popcorn Buckets hub.
Disney also teased “reimagined Disney Parks and Cruise Line offerings” for the anniversary year but did not name any yet, so there is no word on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Tours or Disney Cruise Line plans. The Star Wars: The Experience exhibition is the only official exhibition of the anniversary year, with timed tickets on sale now at fi.edu, and Star Wars Celebration is already sold out. It is also the first big Star Wars celebration since Dave Filoni stepped up to lead Lucasfilm this year.
The Star Wars 50th anniversary celebration starts January 1, 2027. See Lucasfilm’s full announcement on StarWars.com.
