Ahsoka Episode 5 Will Be In Theaters (But There's A Catch)
Everything is better in a theater, from movies to sporting events and also TV episodes. Say what you will about the quality of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," but the premiere of that show looked gorgeous and was worthy of a (limited) theatrical release. Now, it is time for the galaxy far, far away to finally make its return to theaters — kind of.
It is strange that it's been nearly four years since we last had a "Star Wars" movie in theaters, as the franchise has pivoted to TV, building a connected universe starting with "The Mandalorian." While we wait to see whether the slate of future "Star Wars" movies actually gets made or joins the storied tradition of movies in this universe getting announced and then unceremoniously canceled, some lucky fans will get a chance to see lightsabers on the big screen again, in the next episode of "Ahsoka."
Lucasfilm is screening the next episode of the Dave Filoni-created show next Tuesday, September 12, 2023 in select theaters across the United States — the same day it hits Disney+. What's more, some of the locations are IMAX theaters, so fans will get to see the episode Filoni directed on the biggest screen — a tease, if you will, of the experience of watching his announced feature film.
The only caveat is that the free passes were claimed as soon as they were announced, and are all sold out. Still, you can head over to Gofobo to see if there's a screening in your area and join the waitlist to possibly attend (if the Force wills it).
In a theater near you
"Ahsoka" has been a bit of a mixed bag so far. It definitely suffers from being an adaptation of animated characters, not translating their personalities and absurdity too well into a live-action context. There's the fact that Ahsoka is just so incredibly serious as a character, like every protagonist of a "Star Wars" live-action show, which is kind of a bummer considering she was a snappy and charming character in "The Clone Wars."
Still, if nothing else, "Ahsoka" has truly been the first time we see a "Star Wars" TV show actually feel like "Star Wars," having a text crawl, capturing the grand sense of adventure, and embracing silly things like lightsaber fighting in space.
We're now at the halfway point for "Ahsoka," and while it remains to be seen if it can deliver on all its promises of concluding the story of "Rebels" and also starting the "Heir to the Empire" story, it has admittedly been a fun ride so far. We're ready to see the next episode on the big screen.