We’ll probably never see Christopher Nolan make a Star Wars movie, but his impact will soon be felt in a galaxy far, far away. Fresh off a record-breaking summer in which his film, The Odyssey, changed the game with its 70mm IMAX release, two Star Wars movies coming out in 2027 are both being converted to the exclusive, premium format.
Lucasfilm just announced that both the original 1977 Star Wars and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter will be released in 70mm IMAX next year, the former on February 18, 2027, and the latter on May 28, 2027. Starfighter was “filmed for IMAX release, shot with IMAX-certified film cameras and [will be] converted to IMAX 70mm film prints for release in a select number of IMAX film locations.” George Lucas didn’t have that option 50 years ago, so it’s unclear exactly how the original film will be converted, but it’ll “be shown across a select number of IMAX 70mm film locations as well as playing in select theaters for a limited time.”
70mm IMAX is different from other IMAX formats in a few ways, but the biggest one is the size. While most films are presented in an aspect ratio that resembles a rectangle, such as 2.35:1, and more common IMAX films are 1.90:1, 70mm IMAX expands closer to a square at 1.43:1. It’s a massive, more immersive experience that fills a room in a way no other format can. It has become very popular in recent years thanks to films like Sinners, Dune: Part Two, and, of course, this year’s The Odyssey, which was the first film fully captured and presented in that format.
Only a few dozen theaters in the world are capable of presenting films in that way, which is why demand for it rose significantly in the past few years. It even led to ticket scalping for both The Odyssey and the upcoming Dune: Part Three. Unfortunately, you have to assume something similar might follow suit for Star Wars.
And even so, this is an exciting turn of events. Starfighter is one thing. That’s a new movie. It’s kind of expected. But the original film being converted to this in some way could be truly spectacular.
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