Lucasfilm has announced the much-anticipated title for the next STAR WARS movie; it will be called The Last Jedi.
“We have the greatest fans in this or any other galaxy,” Lucasfilm said in a statement released Monday. “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 smash hit THE FORCE AWAKENS, released back in December of 2015, was the seventh installment in the beloved saga and one of the top-grossing films of all-time. It literally left fans with a cliffhanger, with the iconic Luke Skywalker standing on the edge of a steep cliff, about to take his legendary blue lightsaber from the new star of the film franchise, Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Episode VIII is likely to be all about Luke and Rey as he tutors her in the Force as the Knights of Ren and other baddies loom.
Tragedy struck the Star Wars family last month when Carrie Fisher – who played Princess Leia – died unexpectedly. Her characters’ role in the upcoming films is up in the air, but she is expected to play a big role in Episode VIII as her work in the film had been completed.
This past December, the latest Star Wars film, Rogue One, was a surprise hit, showing the franchise will be a fan-favorite for years to come as many more features are planned by Lucasfilm and partner company Disney.
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.
It's official. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the next chapter of the Skywalker saga. This December. #TheLastJedi https://t.co/1vn4J3oZBq pic.twitter.com/QCk52vOuAl
— Star Wars UK (@StarWarsUK) January 23, 2017
