In a move that has set the film preservation and Star Wars communities abuzz, the British Film Institute (BFI) has announced that it will publicly screen the original 1977 cut of Star Wars — not A New Hope, not the 1997 Special Edition, but the raw, unaltered classic that lit the spark for one of the most influential sagas in cinematic history.
This historic event will headline the BFI’s Film on Film Festival, a celebration of celluloid cinema and physical film stock, scheduled to begin on June 12, 2025. The screening will showcase one of the few surviving dye transfer IB Technicolor prints produced for the original UK release of Star Wars in December 1977. The print has been stored for decades in the BFI’s national film archive — and this marks the first time in many years that the general public will have a chance to experience the film as it originally played in theaters.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977), Lucasfilm
For longtime fans, this is monumental. Since George Lucas began modifying the original trilogy in the late 1990s to align with the evolving Star Wars canon — adding digital creatures, altering iconic scenes, and even changing who shot first — the original theatrical versions of the films have effectively vanished from official circulation. The last official release of the unaltered cuts came in 2006 as a limited bonus feature on a DVD set, using masters sourced from the 1993 LaserDisc release. Even then, they were presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and lacked restoration.
Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, fans have speculated endlessly about the potential for a fully remastered, high-definition release of the original cuts. Those rumors have ranged from hopeful to absurd, but until now, the answer from Lucasfilm and Disney has been silence — or worse, indirect denials.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), Lucasfilm
The BFI’s announcement adds a new twist to the tale, and some are wondering whether this high-profile screening signals a potential shift in policy. Adding fuel to the fire was a strange event last month when the original cut of Star Wars appeared on Roku’s Cinema Box streaming app for a few days before being abruptly pulled. No statement was ever given, leading many to suspect that the stream may have gone live by mistake — or as part of a test run.
While fan-restored versions like Harmy’s Despecialized Edition and 4K77 have done tremendous work in preserving the original trilogy through unofficial channels, nothing compares to seeing an actual IB Technicolor print projected in a theater. These prints are famous for their rich color saturation, sharp detail, and physical texture — something digital versions simply cannot replicate.
George Lucas via Laurent Touil-Tartour YouTube
But the Star Wars screening isn’t the only retro gem set to light up the BFI’s big screen. The festival will also include a 35mm screening of the U.S. version of the original Twin Peaks pilot, introduced by none other than Kyle MacLachlan himself. It will mark the first time that version of the pilot has ever been screened publicly in the UK, making the event doubly appealing for fans of cult television.
Tickets for the BFI Film on Film Festival go on sale May 6, and demand is expected to be intense — particularly among die-hard Star Wars fans who’ve been waiting decades for an opportunity like this.
George Lucas via AMC+ YouTube
Will this be a one-time-only celebration of the film’s original glory? Or is Disney quietly testing the waters for something more? For now, it’s a moment to celebrate. For one night only, Star Wars will shine as it was first seen — no CGI dewbacks, no Greedo shooting first, just a pure slice of cinematic history projected the way it was meant to be.
Are you excited that the original Star Wars theatrical cut is being screened? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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I want a physical release of this and the 1980 and 1983 versions of Empire and Jedi. I think that’s what a lot of us want.
This is exactly why DVD’s and Blu-rays are still valuable–luckily I have a copy of the ’06 box set mentioned above; even unrestored, at least the original films are preserved in some form…
Imagine if da Vinci ended up painting glasses or some other deception on the Mona Lisa after having initially presenting it? Would it have the same impact? That’s what Lucas did with his incessant tinkering.
He was the first rot who sealed the deal by selling out out to the rat and the kk. The most unworthy of stewards, imaginable.
I have the original VHS versions but sadly, no VHS player that will work with a digital television. Any ideas?