To mark the 20th anniversary of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith,” Lucasfilm re-released this beloved prequel trilogy’s third and final chapter. “Episode III” re-released in theaters on April 25, 2025, and will be running in select U.S. theaters and international territories — including AMC, Alamo Drafthouse, B&B, Cinemark, Fandango, Galaxy, Harkins, Marcus, Megaplex and Regal Showcase.
“Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” originally came out May 19, 2005, and was written and directed by George Lucas. It was the third movie in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy but the sixth film produced in the “Star Wars” film series.
The story follows Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christenson) who faces both physical challenges and emotional challenges as a Jedi warrior. He struggles to fight off the “dark side of the force” while trying to save his wife Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewen McGregor) tries to mentor Anakin and stop him from succumbing to the dark side.
This movie was only in theaters for a week but it is estimated to have gained over 42 million dollars at the global box office. This includes over 25 million dollars domestically and around 17 million dollars internationally. Due to these high numbers, it is considered to be one of the top grossing re-release weekends in history behind “Star Wars: A New Hope” and “The Lion King.”
This movie surpassed the expectations I had for it, as it was not only visually stunning to experience in theaters, but the excitement surrounding the re-release was unparalleled.
In addition to the re-release, renowned graphic artist Matt Ferguson has designed a brand-new poster for the occasion. Ferguson's latest work depicts Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christenson) under a looming sense of pressure and darkness, trying to fight off the urge to become Darth Vader. In this poster we also see terrain similar to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi's iconic fight scenes. In the upper portion of the poster are spaceships and burning cities.
As this re-release is showing interest by many even outside sources like RottenTomates.com, students at Southern Lehigh are very excited for this re-release because of their love and appreciation for the “Star Wars” films.
“I grew up watching all the Star Wars movies,” said junior Nate Small. “My dad was a huge fan, so I’m excited to go to the theater with him.”
Other than the buzz around the re-release, something that made this movie so special were the enhancements to the original visual editing. During the movie's original release, scenes such as the Battle on Mustafar– where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fought each other–weren’t as detailed as they are now. The visuals were enhanced by using more advanced CGI and special effect techniques, leading to a more visually impressive experience for fans.
“It’s not only the seating and movie watching experience that’s gotten better,” says junior Benjamin Philipp. “The movie quality itself has gotten better.”