Star Wars: Don't Call It A Comeback
Graphic by Evelyn Crothall
“Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” re-released in theaters on April 25. The film raked in $42.2 million globally and $25.2 million domestically in its first weekend, making it one of the most successful re-releases of a movie in theaters ever. Ironically, this current rerelease trails another Star Wars movie, the 1997 re-release of “Star Wars: A New Hope” which made $36 million—or about $71 million with inflation—domestically in its first days, according to IGN.
Fans scrambled to see the 20th anniversary release of the legendary film, which originally garnered $895.7 million at the box office. The re-release featured a message from Hayden Christensen, who portrayed the young Anakin Skywalker in Episodes II and III.
He welcomed viewers to the film, and said: “I hope you enjoy seeing Ewan and me battle it out on the big screen.” He is referencing Obi-Wan Kenobi, played in the prequel films by Ewan McGregor, who famously battles with Skywalker in this episode.
Christensen finishes by quoting his character: “This is where the fun begins.” The third installment of the prequel series, which was originally released in 2005, is a movie filled with action, love, heartbreak and betrayal. The prequel series follows the young Anakin Skywalker before he turns to the “dark side,” becoming the infamous Darth Vader.
Regardless of some initial backlash towards the prequel films, particularly “A Phantom Menace,” Episode III has retained popularity among Star Wars fans, judging by its numbers in the box office on its second go-round.
The Star Wars franchise started with George Lucas’ “Star Wars: A New Hope" in 1977. Almost 50 years later, the franchise is still alive and well, with the first episode of season two of “Star Wars: Andor” airing on April 22. The new season, which currently has a 96% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has garnered a viewership of around 1.2 million households in its first days streaming.
“I think the show is a really interesting commentary on rebellion and the cost of rebellion” said Annie Yaeger ’26 about “Star Wars: Andor.” “It modernizes the Empire in a way that is more understandable and more personal, and perhaps speaks to our current times.”
The show takes place before the film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which was released in 2016, and details the story of Cassian Andor, a rebel who is a significant character in Rogue One, and shows the early foundations of the rebellion against the Empire.
Andor is the latest iteration of the Star Wars franchise made by Disney, after the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Under Disney, Lucasfilm made the sequel series of films, beginning with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015.
While recent shows like “The Acolyte,” released in 2024 with an IMDB rating of 4.2/10, have been less than successful, “Andor” highlights that Lucasfilm still captures expansive audiences with their storytelling, years after the transfer to Disney. Moreover, the re-release of “Revenge of the Sith” proves the decades-long grasp the Star Wars franchise has on millions of fans.