Star Wars 50th Anniversary

What this countdown tracks

The 50th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars, observed on Tuesday 25 May 2027 — half a century since George Lucas's space opera opened in 32 US theatres on 25 May 1977 and reshaped Hollywood, the modern blockbuster, the toy industry, and the visual-effects pipeline. The anniversary is also the 50th anniversary of the start of the modern science-fiction film era and the cultural property that became Lucasfilm and, since 2012, a flagship of The Walt Disney Company.

About this anniversary

The original Star Wars — retitled Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope in 1981 — opened in only 32 theatres on Wednesday 25 May 1977 because 20th Century Fox had limited confidence in the project; the studio had insisted on the early-summer placement to avoid the prestige releases of June. Within weeks the picture was the highest-grossing film of all time at the US domestic box office, a record it held until E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982. The film's $11 million production budget — drawn substantially from George Lucas's pivotal merchandising-rights and sequel-rights deal — made him a billionaire over the next four decades and seeded Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, Pixar's predecessor (the Lucasfilm Computer Division) and a global franchise.

By the 50th anniversary the Star Wars universe spans 12 theatrical features — the original 1977–1983 trilogy, the 1999–2005 prequels, the 2015–2019 sequels, Rogue One, Solo and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter — plus animated series (The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi), a deep live-action streaming slate (The Mandalorian, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, the Disney+ canon), the published-canon novels and comics, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The 50th anniversary also coincides with the wider release window of the next theatrical Star Wars feature, Star Wars: Starfighter, set for late May 2027.

What to expect

Lucasfilm and Disney are expected to centre the anniversary around the release of Star Wars: Starfighter — the first live-action Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — alongside a 4K theatrical re-release of the 1977 original (with the original cuts a perpetual fan demand), retrospective documentaries, an expanded Galaxy's Edge programme at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and a Star Wars Celebration convention in Los Angeles in 2027. Expect the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to mount tribute galas; expect Lucasfilm to release a 50th-anniversary cut of A New Hope; expect a major retrospective at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, custodian of the original Death Star and X-wing miniatures. The anniversary is also a calendar moment for the original cast — Mark Hamill, the late Carrie Fisher's estate, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones's estate, and the surviving creative team led by John Williams.

Past anniversaries

• 40th anniversary (2017) — Star Wars Celebration Orlando carried the principal commemoration; The Last Jedi released later that year.
• 30th anniversary (2007) — A 30th-anniversary edition of the original trilogy released on DVD; Lucasfilm hosted "Celebration IV" in Los Angeles.
• 25th anniversary (2002) — Attack of the Clones opened on 16 May; the silver-anniversary celebration was largely subsumed into the prequel cycle.
• 20th anniversary (1997) — Lucasfilm released the Special Editions of the original trilogy in theatres; first wide use of digital re-mastering and added CGI.
• 10th anniversary (1987) — Quiet observance during the franchise's interregnum between Return of the Jedi (1983) and the prequels.

How to follow

Lucasfilm and StarWars.com publish official anniversary programming, with The Walt Disney Company's investor and consumer-products tracks. Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (planned to open in Los Angeles around the anniversary window) anchor the production-history side. Star Wars Celebration is the canonical fan convention; the Cannes Film Festival, the Lumière Festival in Lyon and the BFI Southbank are likely to programme retrospectives. Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, IGN, Empire, /Film, Comic Book Resources and StarWars.com itself anchor coverage. John Williams's score is performed live by orchestras worldwide year-round.

Related countdowns

Pair the Star Wars 50th with the Avengers Doomsday 2026 and Avengers Secret Wars 2027 for the wider 2026–2027 blockbuster calendar. Other 50-year and centennial anniversary tracks include the iPhone 18 Pro launch — exactly 50 years after Apple's founding — the Lindbergh 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic solo flight, and the Pearl Harbor 85th anniversary 2026 countdown.

FAQ

When is the Star Wars 50th anniversary? Tuesday 25 May 2027 — exactly 50 years after the original 25 May 1977 theatrical release. Where will the anniversary be celebrated? Worldwide through the wide release of Star Wars: Starfighter, a 4K theatrical re-release, Star Wars Celebration 2027, museum retrospectives, and Galaxy's Edge events at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Why does the Star Wars 50th matter? It marks half a century of the franchise that defined the modern Hollywood blockbuster, founded ILM and Skywalker Sound, and established the modern toy and merchandising business. How many Star Wars films will exist by the 50th? Twelve theatrical features through Star Wars: Starfighter, plus animated and live-action streaming series and a live theatrical experience.