The Rise of Skywalker brings full Skywalker Saga to Disney+
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will begin streaming May 4 on Disney+ — two months earlier than expected.
The surprise announcement by Disney came today as a capstone to the much anticipated “May the Fourth Be With You” celebration.
All Star Wars films dating back to the original — Episode IV — are available in 4K HDR10 on Disney+. So you’ll likely see the same picture resolution for The Rise of Skywalker. (Unlike Netflix, the higher picture resolution on Disney+ is included at no extra charge.)
According to Deadline, The Rise Of Skywalker has been the number one home entertainment title on Blu-ray, electronic sales or digital rental in the U.S. over the past four weeks.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been available to rent for $5.99 on rental platforms, which is a dollar less than one month of a Disney+ subscription. So placing the film on Disney+ earlier for what’s dubbed as “Star Wars Day” could prompt fans to sign up for a brief subscription, or bundle it with their existing Hulu account.
Adding Episode IX to Disney+ means, for the first time ever, fans will be able to stream the complete Skywalker saga in one place.
Clone Wars Finale, Mandalorian doc coming
Before today’s announcement, Disney+ had plans for a Star Wars takeover of the streaming service. Other May 4 debuts on Disney+ include:
- The eight-episode documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Each chapter explores a different facet of the first live-action Star Wars television show. The series includes interviews, never-before-seen footage, and roundtable conversations hosted by Executive Producer Jon Favreau, according to a statement by Disney.
- The series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The conclusion to the critically acclaimed series explores the events leading up to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars takeover
Aside from new movies, documentaries and series, Disney+ will also honor the artistry of Star Wars with a week-long concept art takeover on the service.
Each film and series’ artwork will be updated on May 4th to feature its original concept paintings.
On the Disney+ home screen, the animated Star Wars brand tile, viewable on web and connected TV devices, gets upgraded with a new animation that honors the signature hyperspace jump.
Find out more about Disney+ or head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report for more tips and how-to guides on streaming.
Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
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