‘Revenge of the Sith’ Returning to Theaters For 20th Anniversary

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been two whole decades since “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” hit the big screen. Now, that movie is nearly as ancient as the original Star Wars was when “The Phantom Menace” first came out. I could really use a stress reliever; this is getting too much for me.

To mark the 20th anniversary of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”, Lucasfilm has announced that the movie will be shown in cinemas for a week, starting from April onwards. The announcement also mentions that the film will be presented in various formats, with 4DX being introduced for the first time. This feature promises an immersive experience, allowing viewers to truly feel the impact of Palpatine’s lightning fingers blasts (and perhaps even catch a whiff of them too).

George Lucas’ final installment in the Prequel Trilogy for Star Wars, titled Revenge of the Sith, showcased the concluding phases of Anakin Skywalker’s (Hayden Christensen) descent into darkness and his ultimate metamorphosis into the ominous Darth Vader from the original movies. Alongside Hayden Christensen, this film featured Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Yoda (appearing as himself), and Ian McDiarmid reprising his role as Emperor Palpatine.

Unlike the first two prequels – “The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones”, “Revenge of the Sith” received mostly favorable reviews upon its debut (and is the only prequel with a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes). Its thinly-veiled political allegory about the Galactic Republic’s transformation into the Empire has become increasingly relevant over time. It’s also unique among big-budget blockbusters in that (spoiler alert) the villains ultimately emerge victorious, making it a thought-provoking piece as well.

There’s a new poster for the film by artist Matt Ferguson as well.

Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith will return to movie theaters on April 25.

10 Actors Who Turned Down Star Wars Roles

1. Kurt Russell, Luke Skywalker

In the 1970s, Kurt Russell was a prominent leading man, gracing the screens in popular films such as “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood”, “Escape From New York”, and “Overboard”. Regardless of the projects he picked, he consistently emerged victorious – that is, until he opted out of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”. He had been considered for either Han Solo or Luke Skywalker, but ultimately declined the entire project to join ABC’s western series “The Quest”, which unfortunately only lasted one season. Russell later shared with The Daily Beast that he told George Lucas, “I’ve got to decide on this Western and go to work. He said, ‘I can’t give you an answer.’ So I said, ‘Alright, I’m going to take this Western and there will be one less guy to consider.’

2. Rooney Mara, Jyn Erso

Making her mark in Hollywood with an outstanding role in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, Rooney Mara soon captivated audiences as a mesmerizing on-screen personality. However, after a meeting with “Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards, Mara realized she wasn’t suitable for the part. As she told Deadline, she was occupied with work and the project didn’t align with her current commitments: “I was working, and it wasn’t the right fit for me, so I chose not to audition for it. I was on a film, working six-day weeks, and it simply wasn’t feasible.

3. Benicio Del Toro, Darth Maul

In this scenario, we have an actor, Benicio Del Toro, who wholeheartedly embraced the role of the villainous Darth Maul in the Star Wars series. However, when his part started diminishing due to George Lucas trimming most of his lines, Del Toro decided to step away from the prequel trilogy. Initially, he had even donned the costume and applied the black-and-red makeup synonymous with Maul. Eventually, Ray Park took over, concentrating more on the character’s physical aspects rather than dialogue.

4. Jim Henson, Yoda

Over time, I’ve come to appreciate Yoda as one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars universe. Initially, George Lucas envisioned this wise, ancient character under the guidance of Jim Henson, renowned for his Muppets creations like Kermit the Frog. However, as Lucas and Henson collaborated, it became clear to both of them that Henson wasn’t the ideal choice for the role. Instead, Henson recommended Lucas work with Frank Oz, which ultimately led to the character’s successful realization.

5. Jodie Foster, Princess Leia

Despite becoming famous for adult roles such as FBI agent Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie Foster had already built a career as an actor during her teenage years. In fact, the role of Princess Leia was initially offered to Foster when she was approximately 14 years old, but due to scheduling conflicts, she was unable to accept it because she was filming Taxi Driver at that time. Given that Princess Leia had to kiss a character who later turned out to be her own brother, it’s probably just as well that a 14-year-old didn’t take on the role. Moreover, Foster has expressed no regrets about how her career unfolded, stating in an interview with Empire in 2007 that she doesn’t believe she’ll be on her deathbed lamenting not having been in Star Wars.

6. Leonardo DiCaprio, Anakin Skywalker

During Leonardo DiCaprio’s immersion into the transformative character of Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s Titanic, it doesn’t necessarily imply he was instantly prepared for a repeat performance. When he was presented with the role of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, he was still basking in the glory of Titanic’s success and thus declined the offer. DiCaprio shared with Shortlist that he had a meeting with George Lucas about the part, but ultimately decided against it, stating, “I simply didn’t feel ready to make that leap.

7. Tupac Shakur, Mace Windu

It’s worth mentioning that Tupac Shakur, who was well-known as a rapper, auditioned for the role of Mace Windu in 1996. As shared by Rick Clifford, a former engineer at Death Row Records, they had intended for him to become a Jedi. However, Samuel L. Jackson ended up getting the part instead. At that time, Shakur was trying out for various roles, having already appeared in movies like “Juice” and “Above the Rim”. Regrettably, his life was tragically cut short at age 25 following a drive-by shooting in 1996. However, it’s interesting to imagine how unique and cool his portrayal of Mace Windu might have been.

8. Gary Oldman, General Grievous

It’s fascinating to note that Gary Oldman was initially unable to voice the character of General Grievous in “Revenge of the Sith” due to a technicality with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Since “Revenge of the Sith” wasn’t a SAG film, Oldman couldn’t take part. In 2004, his manager, Doug Urbanski, told Variety that they had asked George Lucas to request special permission for Oldman to work on the movie, but the SAG was upset and likely still are. The team found it puzzling, but out of respect and solidarity for the union, Oldman declined the project.

9. Al Pacino, Han Solo

Initially, Harrison Ford’s casting for Star Wars was destined for legend. At first, Ford was merely reading scripts during auditions, but George Lucas was captivated by his interpretation of the character. However, Al Pacino was strongly considered for the role of Han Solo prior to this. Interestingly, Pacino declined the offer to play Han Solo because he didn’t grasp the script. Keep in mind, at that time, Star Wars wasn’t the renowned franchise it later became; it was a new and unexplored path. During an event called An Evening with Al Pacino, the actor expressed no regret about his decision and even humorously pointed out, “You know who else I kick-started a career? Harrison Ford.

10. Burt Reynolds, Han Solo

It’s interesting to note that Al Pacino wasn’t the only actor who was seriously considered for the iconic Han Solo role; Burt Reynolds was also in the running. In retrospect, Reynolds admits he regrets not accepting the offer. Although Reynolds had a flourishing career with films like “Smokey & the Bandit,” “The Longest Yard,” and “Boogie Nights,” he acknowledges that being part of “Star Wars” would have been an incredible opportunity. In 2016, he shared with Business Insider, “I didn’t want to play that kind of role at the time.” Now, he expresses his regret, wishing he had taken the part. Reynolds has a pattern of turning down prominent roles, such as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” and James Bond.

2025-02-25 19:54