The re-release of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is expected to become one of the highest-grossing openings when it comes to Disney-era Star Wars re-releases. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the third prequel movie has been re-released in theaters for moviegoers to enjoy. The re-release also nearly coincides with the recent Star Wars Celebration and the release of Andor season 2. At the former, Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen was announced to return as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka season 2.
According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, the re-release of Revenge of the Sith is expected to make $21-23 million during its opening weekend. This opening would make it one of the best of the Star Wars Disney-era re-releases and possibly better than the 1997 re-releases of Return of the Jedi and Empire Strikes Back, which were $16 and $21.9 million, respectively. The only other Star Wars prequel movie to be re-released since Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm was The Phantom Menace.
What This Means For the 20th Anniversary Re-Release Of Revenge Of The Sith
It May Be The Highest Opening For A Re-Release Since 2012
These optics for the 20th-anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith are impressive compared to the other Disney-era re-releases from the franchise. As far as prequel movies go, The Phantom Menace was the only other to be re-released since 2012, and if these numbers hold true, not only should this re-release of Revenge of the Sith beat its 2024 re-release opening, which is $8.7 million, but it’s overall run at the box office, which equated to $19 million worldwide.
Regarding other Disney-era Star Wars re-releases, the re-release opening of Revenge of the Sith will undoubtedly surpᴀss their overall global box office draws. In 2020, during the pandemic, the re-release of Empire Strikes Back was only able to make $3 million worldwide. In 2022, aligning with the release of Andor season 1, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was re-released and only made $2 million internationally. So if these projections prove to be true, the re-release of Revenge of the Sith should be an impressive achievement for the franchise.
Our Take On The Projections For The Re-Release Of Revenge Of The Sith
It’s Well-Deserved And Not Surprising
Growing up with the prequels, I never agreed with the seeming initial dislike they received. With that lack of favor in mind, the prequels seem to be experiencing a resurgence in support, which could be partly attributed to Christensen’s recent return to the franchise, satisfyingly reprising his role as Anakin and then stepping into the iconic suit of Darth Vader in the Disney series Ahsoka and Obi-Wan Kenobi. This, paired with the fact that Revenge of the Sith is the best of the prequels, personally and critically, these optics for the opening of its re-release are well-deserved and unsurprising.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
