After years of polarizing debate around the prequel era, George Lucas’ final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, has landed among the most-watched movies on Disney Plus worldwide—just as theaters are filled again with The Mandalorian and Grogu and Lucasfilm p
For a franchise that never stops moving. it’s a particular kind of momentum hitting right now: more than 20 years after its release. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is climbing into the spotlight again. The film has become one of the top 10 most-watched movies in the world on Disney Plus. a sudden surge that’s turning debate from what people argued back then to what viewers are finally choosing to watch now.
The timing feels especially charged for longtime fans. not just because of Revenge of the Sith’s renewed visibility. but because Star Wars is running on multiple tracks at once. Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni has brought Darth Maul out of the shadows for a bigger role. leading a new series that has already been picked up for Season 2. The development follows Maul — Shadow Lord, described here as the first great Disney Plus series of the year.
And while streaming continues to dominate the conversation, theaters have pulled Star Wars into a fresh kind of focus too. For the first time in seven years, fans are heading to the big screen for a new movie: The Mandalorian and Grogu, a direct continuation of the 2019 Star Wars Disney Plus series.
Early reception hasn’t been unanimous. The Mandalorian and Grogu has faced polarizing reviews, but the film reportedly recovered its budget in only one weekend—leaving open the possibility that it could still be remembered as a box office success.
That blend of old and new is where the emotional pull of Revenge of the Sith’s resurgence really lands. The prequel trilogy—premiered in the late ’90s and early 2000s—has long been a lightning rod for criticism. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones have often been faulted for disjointed narratives and poor pacing. Yet Revenge of the Sith has been framed here as the “perfect send-off” for that era’s characters. even if it wasn’t treated that way at the time of release.
The story keeps moving through the franchise’s timeline as well. especially for viewers who don’t separate the films from what came later. In Revenge of the Sith. Darth Sidious. played by Ian McDiarmid. finds Anakin Skywalker. played by Hayden Christensen. after he’s burnt to a crisp—still alive—and takes him to a secure facility to put him inside the Darth Vader armor to keep him breathing. The film’s plot then continues through the events of the Star Wars Disney Plus series. Obi-Wan Kenobi. before later concluding in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi is played by Ewan McGregor, and he does seemingly defeat Anakin Skywalker in the end.
When you connect those threads—Maul’s renewed rise under Dave Filoni. a new Season 2 already in motion. a big-screen return with The Mandalorian and Grogu. and Revenge of the Sith breaking into global top viewing lists—the picture is simple: Star Wars is giving audiences fresh entry points while reintroducing older chapters with new context.
For now, the numbers are doing the talking for Revenge of the Sith. And with George Lucas’ direct involvement still part of what made the prequel era so distinct—this film is directed by George Lucas—its latest wave of attention suggests that time isn’t dampening the impact so much as recalibrating it.
Still, the larger summer slate may be what determines how the moment is remembered in the short term. Whether theaters keep pulling in audiences for The Mandalorian and Grogu. and whether streaming keeps favoring what fans revisit again and again. the franchise’s current rush is undeniable. Revenge of the Sith may have arrived in 2005 with controversy around its neighbors. but right now it’s enjoying the spotlight—one weekend. one stream. one rewatch at a time.
Revenge of the Sith release date is May 19, 2005. Its runtime is 140 minutes. Writers are George Lucas, John Ostrander, and Jan Duursema. The producer listed is Rick McCallum.
Revenge of the Sith George Lucas Disney Plus The Mandalorian and Grogu Dave Filoni Maul — Shadow Lord Darth Maul Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi The Rise of Skywalker Darth Vader Ewan McGregor Hayden Christensen Ian McDiarmid