How this calculator works
A marathon is mostly a sum of film runtimes, but the order and the versions change which films are included. Release order follows cinema history: the original trilogy, then the prequels, then the sequels, with the anthology films at their release dates. Chronological order follows the in-universe timeline, placing Solo and Rogue One between the prequels and the original trilogy. The Machete order keeps the original trilogy first, treats the prequels as a flashback after The Empire Strikes Back, and skips Episode I entirely. The 1997 special editions add a few minutes to each original trilogy film. The total is divided by your daily viewing time and rounded up to a finish date.
Formula
Total runtime = sum of the chosen film runtimes. Viewing days = total runtime / viewing time per day, rounded up. Finish date = start date + (viewing days - 1) calendar days. Release order: IV, V, VI, I, II, III, VII, Rogue One, VIII, Solo, IX. Chronological order: I, II, III, Solo, Rogue One, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. Machete order: IV, V, II, III, VI, VII, VIII, IX.
Worked example
In release order with the anthology films and the theatrical originals, the eleven films run 121, 124, 131, 136, 142, 140, 138, 133, 152, 135 and 142 minutes, a total of 1,494 minutes or 24.9 hours. At three hours a day that is nine viewing days, finishing on 9 November if you start on 1 November.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Machete order?
It is a fan-made viewing order designed to preserve the surprise of the prequels. It starts with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, then uses Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith as a flashback, returns to Return of the Jedi, and finishes with the sequels. Episode I is left out entirely.
Why are the special edition runtimes different?
The 1997 special editions added scenes and visual effects to the original trilogy, which lengthened each film by a few minutes. Later releases have continued to revise the films, so the exact runtime can vary slightly by release. The calculator uses the widely published theatrical and special edition lengths.
Should the anthology films be included?
They are optional. Rogue One and Solo sit between the prequels and the original trilogy and add about four and a half hours to the marathon. Leaving them out keeps the nine episode saga as the core experience.
How is the schedule arranged?
The table lists the films in the order you chose, with each year and runtime. It does not assign films to particular days, because that depends on how many fit into your daily viewing time. Divide the daily figure by the runtimes to plan an evening.