Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith returned to theaters this weekend, two decades after it was first released. As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the final chapter of George Lucas' divisive prequel trilogy proved its lasting audience appeal by taking in an estimated $42.2 million at the worldwide box office.
Episode III, which was re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary on Friday, made an estimated $25.2 million domestically, helping it beat The Accountant 2 to #2 in North America (Sinners remained #1 with a fantastic weekend of its own).
Outside of the U.S., it also played in select theaters within many markets, including Germany (where it opened #1), France, Spain, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico, on its way to an estimated $17 million internationally.
This is one of the top-grossing re-release weekends in domestic industry history, playing behind Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope ($36 million from the January 1997 Special Edition release) and The Lion King ($30 million from the September 2011 3D release).
Last year, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace proved it was still a box office Force by making $14.5 million at the global box office for its 25th anniversary re-release, with $8.1 million coming domestically. Before this weekend, Revenge of the Sith had already earned $850 million globally.
What does the success of this re-release mean for Star Wars moving forward? If nothing else, audiences have made it clear to Lucasfilm that they have an affinity for this era of storytelling in a Galaxy Far, Far Away and, in particular, Hayden Christensen (who has reprised the role in recent years in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka).
With that, we may be one step closer to a long-overdue movie or TV series revolving around Darth Vader...
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith takes place years after the onset of the Clone Wars, when the noble Jedi Knights lead a massive clone army into a galaxy-wide battle against the Separatists. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire.
Jedi Hero Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side of the Force to become the Emperor’s new apprentice – Darth Vader. The Jedi are decimated, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda are forced into hiding.
The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz as Yoda, Jimmy Smits, Peter Mayhew, Ahmed Best, Oliver Ford Davies, Temuera Morrison, Anthony Daniels, Silas Carson, Kenny Baker, with Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and Christopher Lee as Count Dooku. George Lucas wrote and directed the film.
Did you watch Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on the big screen this weekend?