‘Star Wars VIII’ title unveiled

MANILA, Philippines – Star Wars fans, here we go! The new title for the upcoming 2017 Star Wars film, the next after 2015’s The Force Awakens, will be called Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

With director Rian Johnson at the helm, The Last Jedi will undoubtedly reveal answers to at least some of fans’ burning questions following the introduction of new characters from The Force Awakens. Check out the simple artwork released by the Star Wars account on social media:

Is “the last Jedi” in fact Luke Skywalker, or could it potentially be Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, or could it be someone else? More questions (but not answers) were raised as The Force Awakens ended with the two coming face to face with each other, though we’ll have to wait to hear an exchange.

Changes will also be made to the space saga’s overall plot following the death of Carrie Fisher, who played the iconic figure General Leia Organa. She had finished filming for Episode VIII, but not Episode IX, although producers said that they had “no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.” (READ: No digital Carrie Fisher planned for future Star Wars)

The deceased actor Peter Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope, appeared this way most recently in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, causing some controversy. A younger CG version of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia also appears this way at the end of Rogue One, further connecting the standalone film to 1977’s A New Hope. – Rappler.com