'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' is coming to Disney Plus early for May the Fourth
Rejoice, "Star Wars" fans, the wait is over. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" lands on Disney Plus on May 4.
To celebrate May the Fourth, Disney is rolling out "The Rise of Skywalker" on its Disney Plus streaming service a full two months early, uniting all nine chapters of the Skywalker Saga films in one place for the first time.
"What began in 1977 with George Lucas' groundbreaking film 'Star Wars: A New Hope,' the nine-part saga is available within Disney+'s extensive collection of Star Wars movies and series including 'The Mandalorian,' 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars,' and 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,'" Disney wrote in a statement. (The Netherlands will have to wait until May 5 for the new film due to a national holiday.)
Related: The best Disney Plus movies and shows for Star Wars fans
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"The Rise of Skywalker" hit theaters in December to conclude the new trilogy of films that continued the story begun by Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and others in the original films 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." Spoiler alert: The Dark Side is still going strong even as new characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) pave a new path in a galaxy far, far away. And of course, R2-D2 and C-3PO are still up to their own tricks.
Disney Plus is marking May the Fourth (a fan celebration day for "Star Wars") with a concept art takeover of the streaming service.
"Like a commemorative gallery, each film and series’ artwork will be updated on May 4th to feature its original concept paintings," Disney said. "From 'Star Wars: A New Hope' to 'The Mandalorian,' the updated art will feature work from celebrated artists such as the legendary Ralph McQuarrie and Academy Award-winning artist, author, and production designer, Doug Chiang."
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Related: Lego launches epic 'Star Wars' A-wing Starfighter for May the Fourth
Speaking of the "The Mandalorian," the original series set in the days after "Return of the Jedi," Disney Plus is launching a new documentary on the making of the TV series for May the Fourth. The streaming service's final season of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will air its final episode on May 4, bringing the series to a close.
So there's a lot of "Star Wars" for fans to celebrate this May the Fourth. You can sign up for Disney Plus here. After the 7-day free trial, a subscription costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 for an annual subscription.
But whatever you decide: May the Force be with you, always.
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Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram.
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Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.