'Return Of The Jedi' Returning To Theaters For 40th Anniversary

You cannot stream forever, Return of the Jedi.

Art by Matt Ferguson.

In honor of the film’s 40th anniversary, Return of the Jedi is returning to movie theaters worldwide later this month. This was announced during a panel in honor of Jedi’s 40th anniversary at Star Wars Celebration alongside a brand new poster designed by Matt Ferguson. Today’s panel, led by Ming-Na Wen, brought stars Billy Dee Williams, Antony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, and Warwick Davis (plus Harrison Ford via video message, who’s just happy that the film has “held up over time”) to London in front of over 4,500 fans to talk about the third movie in the original trilogy which released just under 40 years ago (feel old yet?). During the panel, audiences saw what was the older method of previsualization in the form of the Endor speeder bike chase sequence shot on a handheld camcorder starring Kenner action figures. Also during the panel, Billy Dee Williams announced his autobiography, titled What Have We Here?.

During its original box office run in 1983, Return of the Jedi grossed $475.1 million on a budget of $32.5-42.7 million. It’s extremely unlikely that the film will gross that much this time around, but Lucasfilm can dream. In an official release on StarWars.com, it was shared that, “the beloved sixth chapter in the Skywalker saga, Return of the Jedi, is heading back to theaters — its first official release in 26 years. Starting April 28, Return of the Jedi will return to select theaters in the US, UK,  and other regions for a limited time, welcoming a whole new generation of fans to enjoy a full theatrical presentation of the iconic film for the very first time.”

In the United States, the film will play in theaters from April 28 to May 4, while the UK run will end on May 1. Return of the Jedi is the third film of the Star Wars Original Trilogy and is the sixth film in the Skywalker Saga. The film features the ultimate showdown between father and son and offers the chances for the redemption or damnation of some of the main characters. Matt Ferguson, who created the film’s rerelease poster, took this into account during the design process, saying, “The artwork should tell a story, so for me, it only made sense to give over the composition to those two characters,” he continues. “Will Luke be turned? Is Vader going to overcome the darkness? It’s all about the pull between good and evil.”

Return of the Jedi is back in theaters on April 28.