<Li> 2011: The original and prequel films were released for Blu - ray . Alterations were made to all films . </Li> <Li> 2015: The original and prequel films were released digitally to streaming services . It is identical to the Blu - ray release, except for changes to the opening logos and fanfares . </Li> <P> The first film was released in 1977 under the title Star Wars . The subtitles Episode IV and A New Hope were retroactively added to the opening crawl in a subsequent release . Accounts differ as to when this change occurred . Some, including Lucasfilm, date the addition to a theatrical re-release on April 10, 1981, while others place it much earlier at the re-release in July 1978 . This change was made to bring the original film in line with the titling of its sequel The Empire Strikes Back, which was released in 1980 with the subtitle Episode V . </P> <P> George Lucas in 2015 </P>

When did star wars change to a new hope