Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.' Courtesy of Everett Collection Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text Mark your calendars, because moviegoers will get to hear: "May the Force be with you" in theaters once again. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, which kicked off the legendary trilogy and franchise, is heading back to theaters just in time for its 50th anniversary. Lucasfilm owner Disney has confirmed a theatrical release is set for April 30, 2027. A New Hope originally hit theaters on May 25, 1977 and starred Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and the late Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. And the film saw the introduction to one of the most iconic villains of all time, Darth Vader (physically played by David Prowse, with James Earl Jones providing the voice). Related Stories Movies Stormtrooper Helmet From 'Star Wars: A New Hope' Sells for $256K at Auction Movies George Lucas Makes Comic-Con Debut, Unveils First Look at His "Temple to the People's Art" Museum Created by George Lucas, the franchise expanded into the early 2000s with prequel films starring Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor. The sequels began with 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, featuring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver and many other spinoffs and TV series. Last year at Cannes, Lucas spoke about how his original ideas for Star Wars "sort of got lost" after the 2012 Disney deal. Notably, there's been some box office bombs like 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story. "I was the one who really knew what Star Wars was ... who actually knew this world, because there's a lot to it. The Force, for example, nobody understood the Force," Lucas said. "When they started other ones after I sold the company, a lot of the ideas that were in [the original] sort of got lost. But that's the way it is. You give it up, you give it up." However, a highly anticipated upcoming project in the franchise is Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling. That film is also set to hit theaters in 2027, on May 28 of that year. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Heat Vision 'The Naked Gun' Filmmaker Akiva Schaffer Explains Why He Limited the Reboot to One O.J. Joke Heat Vision Box Office: 'Bad Guys 2' Scores $2.6M in Previews, Liam Neeson's 'Naked Gun' Loads Up With $1.6M Heat Vision 'A Quiet Place Part III' Is A Go with John Krasinski Directing for a 2027 Release Locarno Film Festival Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Korea: Political and Dystopian Films in the Locarno Spotlight Steven Knight Writer Steven Knight Teases His Plans for Amazon's James Bond: "Better, Stronger and Bolder" The Gentlemen British Tough Guy Ray Winstone to Receive Sarajevo Festival Award Heat Vision 'The Naked Gun' Filmmaker Akiva Schaffer Explains Why He Limited the Reboot to One O.J. Joke Heat Vision Box Office: 'Bad Guys 2' Scores $2.6M in Previews, Liam Neeson's 'Naked Gun' Loads Up With $1.6M Heat Vision 'A Quiet Place Part III' Is A Go with John Krasinski Directing for a 2027 Release Locarno Film Festival Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Korea: Political and Dystopian Films in the Locarno Spotlight Steven Knight Writer Steven Knight Teases His Plans for Amazon's James Bond: "Better, Stronger and Bolder" The Gentlemen British Tough Guy Ray Winstone to Receive Sarajevo Festival Award