"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is getting an early Disney+ release date

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will start streaming much earlier than expected, Disney has announced today, cutting down the waiting time for those currently sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Starring Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, and Daisy Ridley, among other stars, the movie brings to a close the nine-part Star Wars series.

Fans had expected to have to wait until July before the film was released on streaming services. Disney, though, has taken the probably wise decision to pull that forward by two months.

Now, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will be available to stream from May 4th. You'll need to be a Disney+ subscriber in order to see it, though, where it joins the other eight Star Wars movies. Disney will also have a number of exclusive features to go along with its streaming release.

That'll include a commemorative gallery for each film and series' artwork, including concept paintings originally created by the visionaries behind the movies. The Disney+ home screen will be updated too, with special animated Star Wars branding.

Also arriving on May 4th – or "Star Wars Day" as some fans would know it by – will be the premier of an eight-episode documentary series, "Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian." It'll also mark the arrival of the series finale of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," the animated series set in the same fictional universe.

It's not the first time Disney has released the movie early, mind. Back in mid-March, the film arrived a few days ahead of schedule on digital services, though only as a purchase rather than a rental. That would set you back $19.99 in up to 4K. Digital rentals, meanwhile, rolled out by the end of the month, and Blu-ray preorders began at $24.99.

As for the previous eight installments of the saga, they arrived in full to sweeten the Disney+ deal back in December. Disney added "The Last Jedi" on December 26, along with bonus content like deleted scenes and director's commentary.

If you're not already a subscriber, Disney+ offers a 7-day free trial. After that, it's priced at $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year.