when was episode iv added to star wars
List of changes in Star Wars re-releases The first film was released in 1977 under the title Star Wars. The subtitles Episode IV and A New Hope were retroactively added to the opening crawl in a subsequent release.[11][12] Accounts differ as to when this change occurred. Some, including Lucasfilm, date the addition to a theatrical re-release on April 10, 1981,[8][11][12] while others place it much earlier at the re-release in July 1978.[13] This change was made to bring the original film in line with the titling of its sequel The Empire Strikes Back, which was released in 1980 with the subtitle Episode V.[8]
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones The film was released in the United States on May 16, 2002. Some critics hailed it as an improvement over The Phantom Menace, while others called it the worst entry of the franchise.[5][6] The visual effects, costume design, musical score, action scenes and Ewan McGregor’s performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi were all praised, however the romance of Anakin and Padmé, the dialogue and the film's long runtime were all criticized. The film was a financial success, making over $649 million worldwide; however, it also became the first Star Wars film to be outgrossed in its year of release, placing third domestically and fourth internationally. The film was released on VHS and DVD on November 12, 2002 and was later released on Blu-ray on September 16, 2011. Following Attack of the Clones, the third and final film of the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, premiered in 2005.