Star Wars Episode 1 Returning To Theaters At The Perfect Time
The movie originally debuted 25 years ago in 1999.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, Lucasfilm and Disney are bringing the movie back to theaters.
The sci-fi film will return to cinemas starting May 3, which means fans can see the film in theaters again to celebrate the May the 4th Star Wars holiday. Artist Matt Ferguson created a new poster to celebrate the 25th anniversary. Check it out below.
The Phantom Menace originally debuted on May 19, 1999. George Lucas wrote and directed the film, which was the first in the prequel series. The film earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains one of the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time. That said, like the other prequel films, it was maligned by many fans for a variety of reasons.
It's also remembered for its impressive visual effects and for providing the first look at a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who would go on to become Darth Vader. The movie also starred Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Natalie Portman as Padme.
The Phantom Menace would be followed by Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). Presumably Lucasfilm has celebratory re-releases in store when those films hit their own 25th anniversaries in 2027 and 2030.
Lucasfilm is pressing ahead with many more Star Wars movies, the next of which is The Mandalorian & Grogu in 2026. In addition to that film, there is another Star Wars movie in the works that brings back Daisy Ridley as Rey and a "dawn of the Jedi" film from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's James Mangold. Additionally, Dave Filoni is making his own Star Wars movie, while Taika Waititi is as well. Rian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy is apparently still in the works, too, while Donald Glover is making a Lando movie with his brother.
This being Hollywood, there are no guarantees that any or all of these movies will be released. On the TV side, Andor Season 2 just finished filming, and other upcoming shows include Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte.
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