A Welsh-language version of the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope will premiere on the Welsh broadcaster S4C on Christmas Day, marking the first time the iconic movie has been available in Cymraeg. The project, titled Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd (New Hope), is a collaboration between Lucasfilm, Disney, the Welsh government, and S4C, aiming to celebrate the franchise’s upcoming 50th anniversary while promoting the Welsh language.
The voice cast features prominent Welsh actors, including Matthew Rhys as Han Solo, Rhys Ifans voicing Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Princess Leia, Mark Lewis Jones as Darth Vader, osian Morgan as Luke Skywalker, and Llŷr Ifans as C-3PO. Several cast members have previous ties to the Star Wars franchise or notable film and television projects, linking the production to a strong heritage of Welsh talent.
The initiative fits within broader cultural goals set by the Welsh government, which aims to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The project provides an opportunity to engage audiences with the language through a globally recognized cultural phenomenon. The First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth, who is fluent in Welsh, described Star Wars as one of the most influential films of his childhood and expressed enthusiasm about the Welsh-language version using the talents of home-grown actors.
Star Wars has a longstanding connection with Wales, dating back to 1979 when a full-scale model of the Millennium Falcon was built at Pembroke Dock for the film The Empire Strikes Back. More recently, filming for the 2024 television series Star Wars: The Acolyte took place at Welsh locations, including the Brecon Beacons. Additionally, the Lucasfilm co-president Lynwen Brennan, originally from Pembrokeshire, highlighted the richness of Welsh storytelling and expressed hope that the Welsh translation would resonate emotionally with native speakers as powerfully as the original did with new viewers.
The Welsh version follows previous efforts to translate Star Wars into indigenous and minority languages. For example, in 2024, A New Hope was dubbed into Ojibwe, an indigenous language spoken in parts of Canada and the United States, with the goal of supporting language preservation. According to Walt Disney and Lucasfilm, the Star Wars franchise has been dubbed into more than 50 languages worldwide, underscoring its global cultural impact.
S4C’s chief executive, Geraint Evans, described the project as a perfect opportunity to promote the Welsh language and showcase Welsh acting talent internationally. He noted that the production aligns well with the channel’s strategy to expand its audience through compelling content and to support cinematic film production in Welsh.
The Welsh translation features carefully crafted equivalents of iconic phrases, such as "May the force be with you" rendered as “A boed i’r Grym fod gyda chi,” and the opening line “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” translated to “Amser maith yn ôl, mewn galaeth bell bell i ffwrdd ...”. The project reflects both the cultural pride and the linguistic ambition present in Wales today.