'The Rise of Skywalker' is coming to Disney Plus on May 4 to celebrate Star Wars Day — here's how to watch
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"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will be available to stream on Disney Plus starting May 4.
The premiere date coincides with "Star Wars Day," an annual fan celebration of the franchise.
Disney Plus is currently home to nine "Star Wars" movies and several "Star Wars" TV shows, including the hit series "The Mandalorian" and an upcoming show based on the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
A Disney Plus subscription costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, and the streaming service is also available in a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99/month.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," the conclusion to Disney's first "Star Wars" trilogy, will arrive on the Disney Plus streaming service on May 4. Fans will immediately recognize that date as "Star Wars Day," an annual celebration born from the iconic phrase "May the Force be with you."
Disney Plus is already home to more than a dozen "Star Wars" movies and TV shows, including "The Mandalorian," a Disney Plus exclusive that debuted in 2019 and went on to become one of the year's most popular new series.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is the final chapter of the The Skywalker Saga, which began with "A New Hope" in 1977 and spans nine episodic films. Daisy Ridley stars as Rey, the last Jedi to train under the legendary Luke Skywalker, while Academy Award nominee Adam Driver reprises his role as Kylo Ren, a Sith lord seeking to conquer the galaxy.
"The Rise of Skywalker" was released in theaters in December 2019 and went on to generate more than $1 billion in worldwide box office sales. The J.J. Abrams-produced film received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing.
How do I watch 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' on Disney Plus?
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will be available to all Disney Plus subscribers on May 4. The movie has been available for purchase on Blu-ray and as a digital download since March 31, but it's arrival on Disney Plus will make it more affordable and give subscribers access to even more of the "Star Wars" franchise.
Like prior "Star Wars" media on Disney Plus, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will be available in up to 4K resolution with HDR color quality using the HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats. The movie will also be available with Dolby Atmos audio on supported devices.
The Disney Plus app is available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, and Android, as well as Amazon, Apple, Roku, and Chromecast streaming devices. Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio support Disney Plus as well. While streaming requires a constant internet connection, Disney Plus also gives subscribers the option to download movies and shows to a mobile device for viewing offline.
What is Disney Plus and how much does it cost?
Disney Plus is Disney's on-demand streaming service. An annual subscription costs $69.99 per year ($5.83/month) while a monthly subscription costs $6.99 per month ($83.88/year). You can also sign up for a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99/month.
All memberships include ad-free streaming and unlimited downloads for a growing library of movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.
Here is a full breakdown of all the Disney Plus pricing options and features.
How to watch 'Star Wars' in order
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is the ninth and final episode of The Skywalker Saga, which includes almost every "Star Wars" movie to date. Though the franchise began with "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" in 1977, that film is actually the fourth episode of the full Skywalker Saga.
If you want to see the story unfold in chronological order, you should start with 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," which introduces a young Anakin Skywalker at the start of his journey to become a Jedi master. From there you should watch "Episode II — Attack of the Clones" and "Episode III — Revenge of the Sith." Together, the three films follow Anakin's adventures, culminating with the rise of Darth Vader and the evil galactic Empire.
"Episode IV — A New Hope" stars Mark Hamill as Anakin's son, Luke Skywalker, as he embarks on a quest to defeat Darth Vader, destroy the Empire, and bring balance to the Force. "Episode IV" is followed by "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi," completing the original trilogy released between 1977 and 1983.
The Skywalker saga continued in 2015 with "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" which takes place 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." A new heroine, Rey, discovers Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and is eventually pulled into a struggle to eliminate the last remaining forces of the Empire, an extremist group called The First Order.
Rey eventually falls under Luke's tutelage in "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi" and begins training for a final confrontation with Kylo Ren, a commander in the First Order with the same abilities as a Jedi Knight. "The Rise of Skywalker" brings the saga to a close with a climatic battle between The First Order and the rebel army that represents the Republic and a final clash between Rey, Kylo Ren, and the sinister Emperor Palpatine.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" are not technically part of the Skywalker Saga, but the events in these anthology films still have an impact on the overarching story. "Rogue One" tells the story of how the rebels were able to cripple the Empire's strongest weapon in "A New Hope," while "Solo" tells the origin story of one of the franchise's most beloved characters. The animated film "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" takes place between "Episode II" and "Episode III."
The full chronology of Star Wars films can be found below:
"Episode I – The Phantom Menace" (1999)
"Episode II – Attack of the Clones" (2002)
" The Clone Wars" (2008)
"Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" (2005)
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018)
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016)
"Episode IV – A New Hope" (1977)
"Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)
"Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" (1983)
"Episode VII – The Force Awakens" (2015)
"Episode VIII — The Last Jedi" (2017)
"Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The future of 'Star Wars' on Disney Plus
Disney Plus
Disney Plus has already confirmed that a second season of "The Mandalorian" will arrive later this year, and a new series following the adventures Obi-Wan Kenobi is already in production, with Ewan McGregor expected to continue his role from the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy.
The final season of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" debuted on Disney Plus in February 2020, completing a run of seven seasons and 133 episodes. The series finale of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will premiere on May 4, the same day "The Rise of Skywalker" arrives on Disney Plus. "Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian," a docuseries following the production of the hit show, will also premiere on "Star Wars Day," May 4.
Be sure to check out our full breakdown of the "Star Wars" movies and shows available on Disney Plus for more details on the franchise.
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