Nobody could have guessed that 2025 would be the year that classics were brought back to theaters. Rereleases galore, we see anniversary edition movies conquer our post-COVID culture, pulverizing many new releases in sales.

Students were asked how they feel about seeing old films after a long week at school.

“I feel good about seeing older films back in movie theaters. It gives the older movies more of a chance to be seen by younger people,” said senior Noah Goodell.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith came back to theaters in April, surprising dedicated fans and new viewers. Fans had a new appreciation for Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin Skywalker

“I liked seeing Anakin shift slowly to the dark side throughout the movie, so we can see his rage and anger,” Goodell said.

“The transformation combined with the struggles he goes through was excellently expressed through Hayden Christensen.”

Theaters are using rereleases to tap into viewers’ nostalgia, while also introducing amazing films that younger audiences may have never seen before. For some students, it’s a refreshing break from the seemingly endless cycle of sequels and superhero films that take root in the box offices.

Senior Drew Bieberdorf was much more critical of theaters.

“I think it says a lot about the movie industry,” Bieberdorf said. “It shows that the newer movies aren’t sufficient to bring in viewers. Other than anniversary picks, it doesn’t make sense for them to bring back old movies unless they are trying to get more viewership.”