Story perspectives

Wales to Air First Welsh Star Wars Dub Christmas 2026

8/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Wales will broadcast the first dub of Star Wars: A New Hope, “Gobaith Newydd,” on S4C on Christmas Day, 4 August 2026.
Ellyn Stern directs and Michael Kohn produces the dub, a partnership of Lucasfilm (Disney), S4C, Creative Wales and Welsh Government.
Welsh voices include Matthew Rhys as Han Solo and Rhys Ifans as Obi-Wan.
Lucasfilm co-president Lynwen Brennan said the dub lets speakers hear the film in their language and marks 50th anniversary in 2027.

History

Historical Context

After the 1980 reversal of a government decision—prompted by Gwynfor Evans’s hunger-strike threat—the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority launched S4C on 1 November 1982 with public funding. Decades of Welsh-language broadcasting, including the BBC’s £74.5 million annual contribution from 2016, set the stage for today’s Lucasfilm, Disney and Creative Wales partnership dubbing *Star Wars: A New Hope* for a 2026 Christmas broadcast.

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Story summary

Wales will broadcast the first dub of Star Wars: A New Hope, “Gobaith Newydd,” on S4C on Christmas Day, 4 August 2026.
Ellyn Stern directs and Michael Kohn produces the dub, a partnership of Lucasfilm (Disney), S4C, Creative Wales and Welsh Government.
Welsh voices include Matthew Rhys as Han Solo and Rhys Ifans as Obi-Wan.
Lucasfilm co-president Lynwen Brennan said the dub lets speakers hear the film in their language and marks 50th anniversary in 2027.

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