Even before the notoriously secretive JJ Abrams came onboard, Disney was keeping the possible full titles of Star Wars Episode VII close to its chest. However, with the House Of Mouse announcing that principal photography has officially come to an end, they’ve also decided to let us know what the movie will actually be called.
And here it is: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Undoubtedly this will start a lot of chatter, not least that it appears Disney has dropped Episode VII from the title , which could just be a refocusing in light of Lucasfilm’s attempts to extend the universe with multiple films (not all of which will be direct sequels to this film). It could also be an attempt to sell this as being something new, rather than just a continuation of George Lucas’ opus.
There’s also the title itself, which is bound to be loved by some and loathed by others. To my mind, it sounds like a computer game, but at least it isn’t as bad as The Phantom Menace. It also makes you wonder how the Force will be awakening, as it wasn’t exactly silent in the earlier movies. The new title suggests perhaps we’ll see an evolution from what’s gone before.
The main immediate speculation is that while Lucas’s vision said their could only be two Sith who were at one with the Dark Side of the Force, here there could be many more. After all, everything had to start over after Return Of The Jedi, with only Luke Skaywalker left who had any Jedi skills, so it may be that the rules aren’t the same with a proper Jedi Order presiding over things.