This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the theatrical premiere of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. To celebrate the occasion, Lucasfilm is re-releasing the film in theaters this May the Fourth (or May the Third, actually, since that’s when the first screenings take place).
The Phantom Menace, of course, is the first prequel to George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy. Is it good? Is it bad? The answer to those questions is a perennial Star Wars debate, one perhaps you can bring up with your seatmate (or not) if/when you rewatch it this May in theaters.
If seeing The Phantom Menace once again on a big screen is not enough Star Wars for you, don’t fret: The screenings will also include a sneak peek of Star Wars: Acolyte, the upcoming series that takes place 100 years before young Anakin was toddling across the sands of Tatooine.
And if that’s still not enough Star Wars for your eyeballs, Lucasfilm has got you covered. In celebration of May the Fourth, select theaters will be hosting a movie marathon featuring all nine features in the Skywalker Saga. (If you decide to do this, here’s two words of advice from someone who has already done this: compression socks.)
Tickets for the return of The Phantom Menace are already available for sale. If you’re ready to spend over twenty hours in a theater, you can find details about theaters hosting the marathon event here.
In the meantime, here’s the poster Lucasfilm released to commemorate The Phantom Menace’s twenty-fifth anniversary return to theaters.
