Moving up the major release of “Rise” a full 2 months
Break out the lightsabers and pour yourself a tall glass of blue mile, because Monday is May the 4th (be with you), a global holiday celebrating everything Star Wars. Disney is getting in on the action by bumping up the home release of “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” on Disney+. Releasing the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga now comes a whopping two months earlier than its originally scheduled debut for the streaming site— a sure treat for cooped up moviegoers itching to binge more content during the quarantine.
The Star Wars fun does not stop there, though. Disney+ is also airing the final episode of “The Clone Wars” on the 4th. The acclaimed and beloved animated series has been off the air since 2014, but Disney decided to make a final season for their streaming site in 2020. Episodes have come out stagnantly since February 21st, and the conclusion arrives appropriately on May the 4th, putting Star Wars fans of the edges of their seats.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Disney+ still has one more surprise up its sleeve for the global Star Wars day. On the 4th, the site is also releasing a making-of documentary on “The Mandalorian,” the first live action Star Wars series that met immense praise at the end of 2019. “The Mandalorian” wrapped its first season in December and has already been renewed for a second and third season. It met record-breaking viewership figures and was a huge draw for Disney+ subscribers upon the service’s launch last November. Given that “The Mandalorian” sports some of the best writers, directors, and VFX people in the television game (not to mentioned executive producer John Favreau), the making-of story is bound to spark intrigue from Star Wars fans and general cinephiles alike.
Making the most of this springtime celebration of the saga to boost Disney+ awareness
Clearly, Disney is doing its best to make May the 4th a special occasion. This is the first May 4th that Disney+ has been in existence for, and it also falls at a time when audiences are stuck at home with nothing but streaming services to keep them entertained. This would not be the first time that Disney+ pleasantly surprised fans during the quarantine, though, as the site also expedited releases of “Frozen II” and Pixar’s “Onward” in light of the pandemic.
Moreover, the holiday arrives at a potentially uplifting time, as movie theaters are slowly opening up again. Perhaps a few theaters in the newly reopened Texas and Georgia will be able to host some May 4th Star Wars celebrations on the big screen.
While there are currently no new Star Wars theatrical releases on the horizon, 2020 remains an active year for the franchise. Not only is “The Mandalorian” season 2 scheduled for release in October, but the creative minds at Disney and Lucasfilm are currently working on a Ewan McGregor-starring Obi-Wan series for Disney+ as well as an enigmatic multi-media project titled “The High Republic” which launches in August. Meanwhile, the long awaited Cassian Andor series remains in development as well as an additional Star Wars show helmed by “Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland.
Disney’s parks—and therefore Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance rides—sadly remain closed right now. Nevertheless, the House-of-Mouse is offering a lot for May the 4th 2020. Fans will surely have more than enough to get them through the day, lost and relishing in the plethora of new and familiar stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.