• South African Star Wars fans can enjoy a special re-release of The Phantom Menace at select Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro theatres on 4th May.
• The film is an upscaled and HD version of the 1999 film, the start of the controversial prequel trilogy.
• Star Wars-themed specials will also be available on Loot and Takealot during May the 4th in South Africa.

Tomorrow is International Star Wars Day, May the 4th, and Star Wars fans in South Africa are set to enjoy a special treat as this is the 25th year since Star Wars: The Phantom Menace hit theatres.

According to Disney Africa, select Ster-Kinekor, Nu Metro cinemas and The Bioscope theatre will be showcasing a special re-release of The Phantom Menace until 9th May 2024.

For Nu Metro, the film is playing at:

• Clearwater,
• Hyde Park,
• The Glen,
• Emperors Palace,
• Menlyn Park,
• Ballito Junction,
• Cornubia,
• The Pavilion,
• and Canal Walk.

For Ster-Kinekor:

• Brooklyn Commercial,
• Cradlestone,
• Cresta,
• Eastgate,
• Irene,
• Mall of Africa,
• Sandton,
• The Zone @ Rosebank,
• Vaal,
• Gateway Commercial,
• Blue Route,
• Capegate,
• Cavendish,
• Garden Route,
• Somerset,
• Tyger Valley,
• and the V&A.

The re-release version of The Phantom Menace has been upscaled and enhanced for modern cinemas, but it is still the first prequel film from 1999. No additional changes are expected to be made to the content, but the May 2024 release is set to take place internationally.

Up until the release of the Force Awakens trilogy of films, The Phantom Menace and its sequels were the most controversial Star Wars films. The first prequel film had the near-impossible task to live up the original Star Wars films, which changed filmmaking and how audiences consume movies.

That never stopped critics from panning The Phantom Menace at the time, with Entertainment Weekly calling it “haplessly plotted, horribly written, and juvenile.”

While fans have significantly warmed up the prequel films since then, we still remember bad decisions made in the first one which were thankfully written out of Attack of the Clones and the flawed but otherwise excellent Revenge of the Sith. Yeah, we said it.

Decisions like Midichlorians and… Jar Jar Binks.

Disney adds that those who go watch the film at Nu Metro will even get an exclusive sneak peek at Star Wars: The Acolyte, the latest Star Wars series from Disney+.

This series will set up the Sith Jedi war and will take place during the never-before-seen “High Republic” setting, which occurs hundreds of years before the films. The expectation is that the series will contain the first encounter between the Jedi and the Sith, or at least, the first encounter between the Sith as we know them.

4th May will also see the premier of Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, a new series that delves into “the dark side of the galaxy.” There will also be Star Wars-themed deals on 4th May at online stores like One Day Only, Loot, and Takealot.

May the 4th be with you!

[Image – Provided]