Turner has acquired the rights to the complete Star Wars movie franchise as part of a multi-year licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox, the company said Wednesday.
The agreement calls for TNT and TBS to air 10 Star Wars films -- five of the original six Star Wars films, along with the cable network premiere of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the movie is currently running on pay tv service Starz), the upcoming Rouge One: A Star Wars Story set to debut in theaters this December, and the next three yet-to-be-created Star Wars films -- according to Turner.
In addition, Turner through a separate deal with 20th Century Fox secured deals to the inaugural 1977 Star Wars film A New Hope. Terms of the agreement were not revealed.
TNT will air the original Star Wars films over six consecutive nights beginning Sept. 20, said the network.
"The Star Wars movies and characters are beloved across generations, captivating audiences and breaking box office records around the globe for nearly four decades," said Deborah Bradley, executive vice president of networks optimization, content strategy and commercialization for Turner in a statement. "Through this deal, TNT and TBS will be the exclusive basic cable home of one of the most iconic, enduring and valuable movie franchises of all time, giving viewers the chance to watch this amazing collection from the very beginning."
TNT presents the original six Star Wars films over six consecutive nights, starting Tuesday, Sept. 20
Tuesday, Sept. 20
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
11 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Wednesday, Sept. 21
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
11:05 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Thursday, Sept. 22
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
11:05 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Friday, Sept. 23
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope
10:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope
Saturday, Sept. 24
10:45 a.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
1:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
4:55 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
10:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Sunday, Sept. 25
5:15 a.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
8:15 a.m. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
11:20 a.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
2:25 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope
5:10 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
11 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
2 a.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
