Light sabers, camera, action!
The Star Wars cinematic universe is returning to Seattle in a big way on the big screen in September with a two-week celebration of the entire film franchise at SIFF Cinema Downtown.
The marathon screening will feature 11 titles, from the original 1977 classic “A New Hope” to the standalone Star Wars stories “Rogue One” and “Solo.”
The first weekend, starting Sept. 5, will show the films in chronological order, “from Anakin’s podracing days to Rey’s final rise,” SIFF said on its website.
The second weekend will feature the films as they were released and first seen by the world. “Relive the shocking reveals and the original trilogy magic as they unfolded across decades,” SIFF said.
Previously known as the Cinerama, the theater originally opened in 1963, just a year after Seattle hosted the World’s Fair. It was rescued by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1988, and put through a multi-million-dollar renovation before reopening in 1999 as a high-tech destination for movies.
The theater has played host to much-hyped Star Wars events and film premieres in the past, including in 2015 for a full-day screening of the franchise’s seven films at the time.
SIFF Cinema Downtown took on its new name in 2023 after Seattle International Film Festival, a nonprofit film and education organization, purchased the theater from the estate of Allen and reopened it after it was shuttered during the pandemic.
Tickets are on sale now for “Star Wars: The Ultimate Cinematic Marathon” and priced at $22 per film ($19 for SIFF members; $21 seniors, students; $17 child).
Here’s the full schedule of planned showings:
FRI. SEPT. 5
11:25 a.m. — Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
2:40 p.m. — Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
6:00 p.m. — Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
9:30 p.m. — Solo: A Star Wars Story
SAT. SEPT. 6
11:35 a.m. — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3:00 p.m. — Star Wars: A New Hope
6:15 p.m. — Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
9:30 p.m. — Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
SUN. SEPT. 7
12:30 p.m. — Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3:50 p.m. — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
MON. SEPT. 8
4:00 p.m. — Solo: A Star Wars Story
7:30 p.m. — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
TUE. SEPT. 9
4:00 pm — Star Wars: A New Hope
7:30 pm — Star Wars: The Force Awakens
WED. SEPT. 10
4:00 pm — Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
7:30 pm — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
THU. SEPT. 11
4:00 pm — Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
7:30 pm — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
FRI. SEPT. 12
1:00 p.m. — Star Wars: A New Hope
4:15 p.m. — Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
SAT. SEPT. 13
12:45 p.m. — Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
4:00 p.m. — Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
SUN. SEPT. 14
12:30 p.m. — Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3:50 p.m. — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
MON. SEPT. 15
4:00 p.m. — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: A New Hope
TUE. SEPT. 16
4:00 p.m. — Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
WED. SEPT. 17
4:00 p.m. — Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
7:30 p.m. — Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
THU. SEPT. 18
4:00 p.m. — Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
7:30 p.m. — Solo: A Star Wars Story