To mark 50 years since Star Wars: A New Hope first taught nerds and freedom fighters alike that fascism can be stylish, but still loses in the end, Disney is re-releasing the classic into theaters. The timing, coincidentally, lines up with America teetering somewhere between space opera and slow-motion coup.
“It’s a story about resistance, rebellion, and toppling a bloated, orange-tinted empire,” said one fan, clutching a popcorn bucket shaped like Darth Vader’s head and maybe Mike Pence’s spine.
With Trump’s name once again looming over ballots like the Death Star over Alderaan, the film offers comfort: even the most polished fascists can be taken down by poorly trained farm boys and a belief in something more than tax breaks.
Lucasfilm says no new edits this time, except digitally replacing the Emperor with a guy screaming about stolen elections.
As ever: the Empire doesn’t win. But it does get a sequel.
