Star Wars has been translated and dubbed into countless languages throughout its history, but the franchise is now doing something genuinely unprecedented for Welsh-speaking audiences.
Disney, Lucasfilm, Welsh broadcaster S4C, and Creative Wales have announced the first-ever official Welsh-language version of Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), marking an extraordinary moment for a language that has historically had very little representation in mainstream global entertainment.
Titled Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, the movie has been completely redubbed in Welsh, with an entirely new voice cast taking over the characters originally performed by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, and others.
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Star Wars Comes to Wales
Welsh actor Osian Morgan now voices Luke Skywalker, while Matthew Rhys takes over as Han Solo, Aimee-Ffion Edwards voices Princess Leia, and Rhys Ifans becomes Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mark Lewis Jones voices Darth Vader, with Llŷr Ifans as C-3PO, Nia Roberts as Aunt Beru, Richard Harrington as Grand Moff Tarkin, Owain Arthur as Red Leader, and Rhodri Meilir as Gold Leader.
For fans who have never heard Star Wars in Welsh, S4C has already shared an official teaser. It features the famous “A long time ago…” opening in Welsh before moving into the iconic text crawl, offering a glimpse at how dramatically different the familiar dialogue will sound.
Of course, the redubbing does not alter the movie itself. The story, visuals, editing, music, and actual events remain exactly as they are, but every spoken line has been newly performed in Welsh, including the dialogue heard during the film’s ending.
The project is being created as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations for A New Hope, with Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd set to premiere on S4C and its streaming platforms on December 25, 2026.
For a franchise that has spent almost five decades expanding into almost every corner of popular culture, giving its original movie an official Welsh-language release represents a remarkable new chapter.
What do you think of Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd? Would you watch A New Hope in Welsh? Let us know in the comments below!
