"Star Wars Trilogy (1997)" Special Edition Trailer 

I remember seein this trailer in the theater and the whole audience erupted with thunderous cheers

I remember going to see The Empire Strikes Back in 1997 in the theater after not having seen it since the 80s. I had forgotten how spectacular it really was.

this trailer was shown in front of Space Jam and Independence Day back in movie theaters in 1996!

This is what started me on my path to 20+ years of being a fan. Thank you Star Wars for all the amazing memories.

Seen this trailer in july 1996 in NYC, before Independence Day ! What a thrill !

I saw all three in theaters that year. Good times.

Hands down one the most awesome trailers ever made. Special edition may have it's issues but boy that trailer got me pumped.

Spring '97. I consider myself truly blessed that my first Star Wars experience was getting to watch A New Hope on the big screen as an 8 year old.

This trailer really sums up WHY, despite the many changes that didn't land (overshadowing the few that did land), this entire undertaking was anything but a bad move. For someone who was born even after the 1985 rerelease of the trilogy, it really was an experience to actually watch all three on the big screen.

This trailer blew my mind when I first saw it. I was at the theater to see "Star Trek: Generations". At the time, I wasn't really into movies, so I usually didn't pay attention to movie trailers. Before they showed this trailer, they had a few horror movie trailers (which I can't stand), followed by Bevis & Butthead (ugh). So when I this came on, I thought, "Ok, what stupid movie this now? Wait... that looks like Star Wars." To this point, as the trailer says, I had seen Star Wars many times on TV. I could almost recite every line of the movie. My jaw was on the floor the moment that X-wing flies out of the screen with the Star Wars theme playing. I had never thought a movie could look, sound, and feel like this! I've been a fan of movies ever since. Thanks, George Lucas. :-)

Choked up a bit watching this. The first time I ever saw Star Wars was as a 4 year old in theaters for the Special Editions, and now 18 years later I get yet another new Star Wars film!! So excited!!

They actually did a pretty good job at making the special editions look good!

I love the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas created a masterpiece in science fiction history, I'm glad back in 1997 he digitally remastered it for everyone to enjoy. May the Force be with you George Lucas for giving us the original Star Wars trilogy!!! George

Back when Star Wars was still fun.

1:23 I was born February 14th 1997. You could almost say...it was my destiny to be a Star Wars fan.

I remember this great moment in history. I was seven years old. My uncles back then talked about as if it was something biblical. When I saw it for the first time on the big screen, it was truly of biblical proportions. Fan ever since. lol

1:13 "Finally, the motion picture event the way George Lucas prefers it."

Here's something every detractor of the Special Editions should thank them for: they gave Star Wars an entire new generation of fans. Including me, and I certainly thank them for that.

When I went see jingle all the way on December of 1996, they played this trailer and people were happily surprised. They cheered a lot afterwards

I know a lot hate these versions but I wasn't even cum in 70s so these were my introduction to Star Wars. I remember seeing these in theaters & falling in love with the series. I immediately begged my mom to buy me the original VHS trilogy so I can check them out (which I'm sure I still have) & now I eagerly await The Force Awakens!

Man I was so lucky I got to see this.

I remember watching these in theaters! Went to see each one and the prequels not long after! Man it was a good time to be a young Star Wars fan.

Maaann I still remember when I went to go see star trek first contact this was the very trailer they showed

In 1997, I was 9 years old and that's how I saw Star Wars for the first time : in a theatre with my Grandfather. Next day : was building model spaceships to blow in front of my Grandfather's camera :D Good old times !

"And a Few New Surprises" Welp, it's not a Surprise anymore.

I remember how this took me completely by surprise. I was watching TV with my dad one evening and this came on. I was 7 years old, I think. I jumped out of the seat as soon as I realized what I was seeing, and I stood there, mouth agape while I took the whole thing in. When it was over, my dad and I just looked at each other. Good times. I've grown up to be a critic of the special edition, but it still holds a place in my heart. Nothing can replace those memories, and that's what the special edition means to me, despite their downsides: memories.

I still remember when this Trilogy was released back in 1997. When things were good, movies were great. What a time!!!

No trilogy in Star Wars' Skywalker saga will never beat the original one and how it's left a phenomenal impact on the movies.

Saw this trailer in cinema, back in 1996 with DragonHeart and Space Jam.

My dad is a huge fan. A collector since the original theatrical run, our house was filled with Star Wars. I remember him taking us to the theater when this trailer ran. There was no internet, no rumors of the special edition. It was a total surprise. Dad was half asleep, but the instant that tv appeared he jumped forward & gasped. We both awed at the new Xwing shot. By the end of the trailer we were cheering along with the whole audience!

best trailer ever

I remember my friends and I sneaking in a video camera into whatever movie we were seeing so we could record this and watch it over and over. We all also camped out for each of these re-releases. Such awesome memories.

This would have been awesome to experience. Given that I had grown up with them on a small tv on VHS. Also, "See it again, for the first time?" WTF?!

Great trailer. And good memories.

SEE IT AGAIN - FOR THE FIRST TIME!!

I saw this trailer the first time in theaters in December of 1996, I was knocked out of my seat!. This is an ABSOLUTE greatest film saga of all time!!!. It's too bad & a tragedy that this film's history will never be repeated again!. I was 8 years old when star wars started back in 1977. I had it on video when it was released, once I saw it I WAS HOOKED!!!. STAR WARS FAN FOR LIFE!!!. Mark Hamill was a great luke skywalker. He defeated vader & became a JEDI!!!. after that he went gold!!!. Made forever. Mark hamill was a star!!!. Still till this day I watch star wars on blu ray. Even better than video. WOW WOW WOW!!! WHAT HISTORY!!!.

Went to see another movie (during November of 1996) and saw THIS in "coming soon". Blew my damn mind. Had never seen a Star Wars movie on big screen only saw them on VHS. I kept saying "January and February cannot ****** get here fast enough Dammmn Man" lol. My brother and I did see it 2 days after first release. Everyone cheered, clapped. Now I share this story some 23 years later on youtube :)

Saw all three in the 5th grade. That was the highlight of the 1996-1997 school year.

Just viewed this trailer yet again at 3:50 a.m. Takes me right back to November (or December) of 1996 in Ontario, Canada while waiting to see another movie. So why at almost 4 am am I in tears haha. OMG. Seeing this preview then & seeing it now in March, 2020 invokes something deep inside of me. I have been a StarWars fan since I was a young kid. I even went to and attended 4 local Comic-Cons (2 years worth) and Cosplayed as Darth Vader!!! I am so very glad I could find this trailer again & be "blown away" mentally yet again. I Thank YOU Mr. George Lucas for creating it :):):)

Brings me back to my childhood

I remember seeing all three of these editions when I was 11th grade in high school

Okay, say what you will for the special edition... but as a 90s kid raised on the Star Wars movies on VHS I will never forget the thrill of seeing this trailer in the theaters. My friends and I just completely lost it watching this.

My favorite Star Wars trailer

This was my introduction to Star Wars.

Wow, it's been 25 years since those came out in theaters!

Star Wars 1977-1997 Cause of Death: George Lucas discovering CGI and having delusions of grandeur. Rest in Peace, Star Wars. It's been almost 20 years since you passed away, but I still remember the last time I saw you like it was yesterday. VHS, digitally remastered in THX. The way you were meant to be seen and heard. Before the dark times... Before the special editions.

I had only seen Episode 4 at ten years old and they showed this trailer before Space Jam. Changed my life.

The best late 90s experience of my life

That intro spoke to me so well, being born in '78 and only vaguely remembering seeing "Jedi" in the theater. However my older brother was a freak and watched this movie at least once a day on our Betamax. I'd literally seen the movie hundreds of times that way. I cried when I saw this trailer for the first time.

I love 1997 version !!!

Best trailer ever !!

Damn, this was 25 years ago!

*On Presidents Day Weekend 1997, George Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox invite you to welcome back...* Chills everytime!

Man I wish I was born 1989 so I can watch these

I'll never forget I was 12 when my friends and I saw this trailer in the theaters (we'd watched my neighbors vhs of the trilogy countless times) and we all jumped out of our seats cheering dropping high fives hahahah

Absolutely breathtaking, remember queuing at the odeon in Manchester on the night of the original Star Wars in 1977 aged 13, I fell in love with it then and im still the same now, nothing will ever come close......pure perfection, Carl in Manchester

Its from The Empire Strikes Back. Its called "The Rebel Fleet/End Title" and is the last part of the track

Oh man what a memory that was. was seeing the original trilogy in the big screen for the first time at age 12 in 97. I remember why it didn't look exciting in the small TV since wasn't born yet till 1984 but loved THE EWOKS a lot in RETURN OF THE JEDI. My dad told me so many stories on that amazing experience like he felt he went on a rollarcoaster ride (he never liked carnival rides). I wasn't interested in seeing this but man he demanded me LOL and glad he did (now its a big tradition on a family gathering to the movies of Star WArs on each new episode). The Crowd showing up and some dressed up (small darth vader), remember the crowd clapping when Death Star got destroyed and the end of the movie. So amazing how it came on each month for three months.

star wars 1977 had quiet a lot of changes even before the special editions in 1997, 2004 dvd and 2011 blu Ray. There was a mono version that had alternate lines and sounds, in 1981 "a new hope" was added to the scrawl and the word rebel was capitalized basically a difference sequence, all home releases had this change, in 1985 it was remastered sound wise with c3p0s tractor beam lines added in from the mono version, tv versions were usually the mono with a couple of changes, laserdisc versions were usually time compressed but included 3p0s tractor beam lines, in 1993 the laserdisc definitive edition (a mix of different sound mixes basically the original) was released with some sounds added such as glass heard shattering when Han and chewbacca shoot cameras, and the scene with r2 and jawas was colour changed to twilight to match the original print more (the 2006 original versions are just a transfered version of the laserdisc modified to be more original such as adding the original scrawl at the start). So yeah a fuck load of changes and that's more the it was remastered and altered.... The empire strikes back 70mm print was pretty different as well but the original was more widely seen, hope this was an education hahaha

Star Wars Pinball VR trailer brought me here.

I remember visiting my aunt and uncle in another city the weekend before the movie was going to be released on VHS. We were doing some last-minute shopping before heading home, and I wandered into Music World almost accidentally. The staff had started stocking the store with the Star Wars Trilogy at the end of their shift in preparation for the big day, earlier than when they were supposed to. They had two displays of dubiously-coloured versions: the gold pan and scan copies and the silver widescreen copies. It really goes to show how people really couldn't wrap their heads around the 4:3 format. Gold 'outranks' silver, but I remember thinking how silly that was. I begged the manager there to sell me a copy but he refused, as he could get into serious trouble for it. Seeing Star Wars in widescreen on cassette was the dream.

This was to hype the prequel trilogy that just went into production

for the purist of the original films that disliked the Special Edition Version, I can understand, but for those who was not around when the trilogy was out to be able to experience the films in 1997 in theaters was a huge big deal with the added visual effects to appeal the 90s generation of the audience as George Lucas original intention to be made was groundbreaking for those who never experienced the original phenoma of the late 70's early 80's...

Bought a bunch of Star Wars film strip sets a few years ago and couldn’t find the source of 2 of them… 😅 turns out they came from this trailer… specifically the title text animation for Return of the Jedi and the silver Star Wars title text animation… (w/ the lens flare) also… thanks for posting this… I finally answered a 2 year long question I thought would never get answered 🙏🏻

I think only saw A New Hope, but I just loved seeing Star Wars in the theater. Now re-release them without the additions when I bore a son one day, if I do...

The line to see ANH Special Edition was wrapped around my local theater like 5 times, I've never seen anything like it. We only got to see it that night because we got free tickets from the Star Wars club or something like that.

1:30 onwards might be the best film trailer ever

I remember seeing this trailer on my Independence Day video back in 1997 when I was 7 years old. It came on right before the movie.

This whole trailer is far superior than the crap Disney has put out.

Ooooh I love that old sound!!!

These editions came out on my birth year.

back on the big screen only in Alamo drafthouse cinemas

man. the fact that this is a 40 year old movie baffles me. I'm so amazed even after so long. and I've only been here for half the time

May The Force Be With You In THE STAR WARS TRILOGY SPECIAL EDITION!

I've gone to every theatrical release for every Star Wars movie. When I was a kid, my dad took me with him to see Star Wars. When the special editions came out, my friends and I went in costume. I was Han, my friend and his wife were Luke and Leia, and my little brother was dressed as Boba Fett.

I wonder how excited fans were over this back in 1997, they probably regret throwing away their ORIGINAL versions of The Original Trilogy

I like how they still don't say A new hope.

The only Star Wars films that matter

I remember a lot of people in the theater wanting refunds to Independence Day cos they missed this trailer. it did boost the gross in the opening weekend for Independence Day. cheeky but cever

I was working as a projectionist at the time and we had one 500 seat auditorium that was sold-out all weekend!

I grew up with these versions of the movie! The 2003 DVD9 versions we're the last releases of the first Special Editions on DVD before the new changes came.

When movies were fun

Got real worried that Chewbacca wasn’t gonna get a shout-out and then he did and I cheered!

I saw all three of these in 1997. People clapped when the end credits rolled like in the old days.

Better than the Sequel Trilogy

Lucasfilm we’re literally begging of you to take a look at this we were thinking you were gonna do this again last year for the 40th anniversary since some of us were too young to see this in 1997

Because of the newest edition to the Star Wars franchise just coming out, there is of course, the New Hope on TV. It was butchered so badly for commercials that I tried to find it elsewhere. No luck and I was not about to spend $25 for the blu-ray edition for one movie. Took a trip to the local second hand store and found the Trilogy set on VHS for just $2.49 - great condition too.

Didn't see it with id4 on opening weekend as me and my dad were a bit late before the film started at the loews in Secaucus meadow six that later closed with its sister cinema the plaza 8 to make way for the kerasotes. Saw it with jingle all the way at the Wayne cinema from using the cinema passes I got from my late orthodontist after getting braces or not and heard star wars for the first time in stereo and surround sound!! It was nice to see the movies on the big screen before the prequels began

Insane feels watching this trailer have not seen it since i was 11 back in '97.

I remember that

January 31st, February 21st, and March 14th are the 20th anniversaries for the releases of the special editions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi respectively. I have no doubt that people are going to just heap criticism on those versions because of the changes these movies had, as well as the changes that came afterwards (I bet people will especially go after the "Han shot first" nonsense). I can just see the online articles now: 1997: The Year The Star Wars Special Editions Arrived to Haunt Us All. That's probably the most accurate way I can describe the inevitable articles criticizing the special editions.

i remember going to see these in theaters in '97...6 years old, never seen or heard of Star Wars before, so i got the full experience as if they were new movies (which, as a kid, i thought they were)...probably had the same "omg wtf face" most did in 1980 when Vader was revealed to be Luke's father haha

Imagine watching this in a theater in 1997

I nearly shit myself when I saw this in a theater with my g/f before I believe it was some chick flick like Selena that I was forced to go to. I jumped out of my seat shouting at the screen! People staring at me but I didn’t care. It was amazing!

I remember going to see all three in theaters when I was younger. I had seen the movies before on vhs but I wanted to see them on the big-screen and I had a blast. I love the Special Editions. There, I said it! I DON'T MIND THEM. Only two changes have bothered me and that's Ben's changed Kyrat Dragon yell and Vader's "Nooooo" in ROTJ. Other than that, I love them but I do agree the OPTION should be there for those who want to enjoy the unaltered trilogy.

The Goosebumps never stop and the nostalgia flood my mind and hear of my youth spring up to renew my Imagination and Wonder that the STAR WARS SAGA brought to life. Legitimizing Scif FI/Fantasy genre from Subculture/B-film into the stratosphere Cultural Awareness as a profitable entertainment not just for kids or the "dorks" but for ALL who Imagine it would travel its own journey to final achieve fandom and cult status into Pop Culture. As a GenX er I grew up with the Original and loved the Prequel and witness all of them in theaters as they were meant to be seen and was fortunate to view this live Musical Journey concert, regrettably not with the original narrator as on the CD/DVD the Dark Lord of the Sith Emperor himself played by Ian McDiarmid but humorously our Narrator was the Talent Anthony Daniels Threepio himself who provide a unique experience back into the Saga. I loved the "Yug-Yup-Nub" song as well as the new track in the Special Editions which in contrast one can see objective what warrant the change back the ending seem a more solemn epic but the child in me that grew up with the original Ewok song looks fondly at it with a smile, for me it was the Ewok not celebrating about the end of the Empire but the creation of friend to an extend family and thus are sing about that as it chorus climatic to an epic final conclusion at a Hopeful Note to this Tragic Saga with only Luke Skywalker GrandMaster aware of the cost for the true celebration.. The Ewok Adventures both TV films and the Holiday Special, as well the animated Ewoks & Droid series are the only critical poor attempt with intriguing concepts that I will accept more as apocryphal selective on accepting what works (Boba Fest first appears Animation clip) versus the stuff that doesn't which speaks for itself. Nevertheless they are more canon than the Anti-Sequel Trilogy. The animated 3-D Clone Wars Film & TV series aLucas/Filoni (2008-2014. 2020) along with the 2-D The Clone Wars min mini-series (2003-2005) Gennedy Tarakovsky/Lucas filler to the OT/PT only part of this Skywalker Saga are the crown aspect ranking above but with KOTOR. May the 4th Be With You that are part of the true Fandom Menace and recognize the sincerity in introducing to the modern generation the Legend of the Hero's Journey with the Everyman story with the Hero of Many Faces. They are Legends BUT not in the manner that the Anti-Sequel Trilogy Disney Abomination-Kennedy/Abrams would have you think...they are canon to Lucas vision while the other material after 2014 is Apocryphal at worst & Forgotten False Nightmare at best but is Pseudo-Star Wars.

Well you would have been if Georgieboy had just done a digitally remastered version and released it without all the uncalled for changes. People would have watched those anyway.

"the way it was meant to be experienced" no comment

I saw the originals back then and especially the Empire Strikes Back, was the one i would time and time again go and see in my local movie theater. l’ve lost count on how my times i've seen it back in the days. Therefore those first originals movies are my childhood memories, and the movies i grew up with, so i don't like the changes he did. lf only Lucas still have made the those first movies available, leaving it up to the the audience/fans to choose, i wouldn't mind, but he did not do that, why is any ones guess since so many would still love to see them.

The one thing I liked about the enhanced visuals is it gave the movies a "timeless" feel. An old meets new effect. But the thing is the original unaltered trilogy should be released officially. I mean those movies effects won all the awards and praise. And the effects in many ways still hold up in those versions. They were classic and practical. I honestly don't know what goes through Lucas's head... It feels like hes bored and wants to change something thats already flawless to begin with. Its just sad that he wants people to forget about the original unaltered versions that we heard about getting all the praise and wants people to focus on the new CGI versions. CGI wasn't bad but im definitely one of those people that encourage people to check out the unaltered versions over the 1997 ones...