Well, this is an unexpected gift on a Monday morning. From out of the blue Walt Disney’s publicity department has delivered the title of the next Star Wars film via a press release. Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It ends months of speculation as to the angle the title would take. Many felt that the film would carry a similar energy to The Empire Strikes Back and therefore feature a similar naming style. Instead, simplicity rules. Here’s what the press release had to say:
We have the greatest fans in this or any other galaxy. In appreciation of the fans, we wanted them to be the first to know the title of the next chapter in the Skywalker saga: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
THE LAST JEDI is written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski.
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is scheduled for release December 15, 2017.
Who is The Last Jedi?
Our own James Akinaka shares with us that there’s an existing book with the same title. It’s highly unlikely there’s any connection. The title can be interpreted a few ways. Does it refer to Luke Skywalker or the enigmatic Rey? Is there another possibility? Regardless, we can scratch off a signpost on the way to the film. It’s likely we’ll see our first teaser around the time of Star Wars Celebration, if not earlier. Lucasfilm has done a terrific job of keeping a lid on what to expect from the film but it appears the fans are finally going to start getting some answers.
Drew Dietsch on The Last Jedi
This title is perfect for a number of reasons. Firstly, it echoes a quote that Yoda said in Return of the Jedi:
“Luke, when gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.”
This title definitely emphasizes the importance that Luke will play in this next installment. As the last of the Jedi, he’s going to be giving the audience a lot of information to help fill in exactly what happened between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. We don’t know the particulars of what happened between Luke and Ben Solo, or how the Knights of Ren were formed, or why Luke is searching for the first Jedi temple.
Also, The Last Jedi could also be a double entendre. As Nick pointed out, could Rey be the last Jedi? Could Luke have decided to abandon the idea of a Jedi collective? Such an organization does seem to create splinters. Has Luke realized that the Jedi will inevitably be the ones to create their own adversaries? That certainly is true for the past.
There’s also a darkness to this title that echoes the ominous feeling of The Empire Strikes Back. The Last Jedi does not sound like a hopeful title. Even the poster changes the familiar yellow Star Wars logo to a blood red. If the three-act structure pans out, The Last Jedi will be a gloomy time for our heroes. But we want our heroes to struggle, fail, and eventually overcome such difficulties.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15.