Disney Replaces Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Dialogue and Opening Crawl for Historical Release
For decades, Star Wars purists have debated George Lucas’s constant tinkering with the original 1977 masterpiece. From updated visual effects to altered scenes, A New Hope has rarely stayed static.
Now, a historic new version is set to debut that will fundamentally alter the film’s most famous elements—swapping out its iconic English dialogue and on-screen text entirely for a brand-new audience.
Related: Lucasfilm Officially Retelling Original ‘Star Wars’ Movie in Three Parts
The project driving this massive shift is Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, the first-ever official Welsh-language dub of the movie. Created through a partnership between Lucasfilm, Disney, S4C, and Creative Wales, the film is scheduled to air on Christmas Day, December 25, 2026.
This release kicks off a wave of 50th-anniversary celebrations for the franchise heading into 2027, alongside a theatrical re-release of the original version of the film, a special exhibition in Philadelphia, and a new Marvel comic book tie-in.
Because of this unique translation, legendary phrases like “May the Force be with you” will sound completely different, and even the classic opening crawl and “A long time ago…” title cards are being digitally altered into Welsh.
This means viewers won’t hear the definitive voice work of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, or James Earl Jones. Instead, an all-Welsh cast will take over, featuring Matthew Rhys as Han Solo, Rhys Ifans as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Princess Leia, Mark Lewis Jones as Darth Vader, and Osian Morgan as Luke Skywalker.
Lucasfilm Co-President Lynwen Brennan, a Pembrokeshire native, shared her excitement in August, noting her hope that Welsh speakers can finally experience the film’s emotional impact in their native tongue. It represents a major milestone for language representation in cinema, giving a classic space opera a totally new identity.
Will you be tuning into Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd this holiday season? Let us know in the comments!
