For the 20th anniversary of the third film of the Star Wars series, Revenge of the Sith returned to theaters for fans to get to watch the memorable movie with the theatrical experience. It was re-released on April 25, 2025, and was in theaters until April 30. The movie was shown in many different theaters, including AMC, Cinemark, B&B Theatres, and more.
Ever since its first release in 1977, Star Wars has been one of the most popular and influential movie franchises of all time. Its films alone have grossed more than $10 billion, and its merchandise sales have generated more than $32 billion. Its passionate fanbase further increased the popularity of Star Wars, comparable to that of other renowned franchises like Marvel, Harry Potter and Spider-man. In addition to its original movies, the franchise has made many modern spin-offs to keep its viewers interested and further continue the Star Wars legacy.
Star Wars has re-released many other major movies in theaters in the past for their fans to watch, but the re-release of Revenge of the Sith has proved to be more popular than other re-releases, generating a total profit of $42.2 million, making it one of the highest-grossing re-releases in cinematic history. Why exactly did this happen? Well, in addition to being its 20th anniversary, Revenge of the Sith has always appealed to many fans due to its significance in the Star Wars saga, depicting the tragic transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. It has many legendary moments and quotes that made Star Wars such a memorable storyline.
Ron Bendor-Gus (’27) is among many of the supporters from the younger generation who went to watch the re-release. In fact, he said he enjoyed it so much, that he watched it twice in theaters. A big Star Wars fan, he was very happy to hear this news on April 25.
“I was extremely excited when I found out that the movie was going to be released, and I especially love the third movie,” he said.
Concerning the cinematic experience, he and many other Star Wars fans enjoyed it compared to just watching at home, as the moment felt “surreal” and the “sound quality was much better.”
“I thought it was a very good idea [to re-release the movie], because there were a lot of fans that enjoyed the movie that were too young to see it the first time in theaters,” he said. “I think it positively contributed [to the legacy of Star Wars] by allowing other fans to see the movies.”
Mr. Dolan, a science teacher at THS, is an older fan who also loves Star Wars. However, unlike other die-hard fans like Bendor-Gus, he did not watch the re-release.
“I’ve already seen it,” he said. “I’ve been a Star Wars geek for a while. So I don’t necessarily think I need to go and spend money in a movie theater to go watch a movie I’ve already seen.”
In his opinion, “Disney is trying to find ways for younger generations to access the story” to “continue to grow the genre and obviously the brand.” Either way, he definitely thinks the re-release was a good idea that helped increase viewership and popularity of Star Wars.
Overall, the re-release of Revenge of the Sith has proven to be a powerful reminder of the long-lasting appeal of Star Wars to many. It brought back long-time fans, but also introduced the new generation to one of the series’s most pivotal chapters on a big screen. This re-release, with its emotional weight, iconic moments, and fan-favorite characters, has reaffirmed the lasting legacy of the franchise. Many fans will be looking forward to more re-releases like this one, keeping the excitement of Star Wars alive for years to come.
