With the Star Wars Episode 7 title confirmed today as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, LucasFilm and Disney can spend the next year hearing from Star Wars fans whether the new Episode 7 name will stick, or should be changed. Remember, a long time ago in a theater far, far away, Episode 6 (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) was once known as “Revenge of the Jedi.”
The Star Wars Episode 7 title was confirmed on the film’s last day of principal shooting. Now director/producer JJ Abrams can get his Star Wars Episode VII team moving on post-production. No doubt there will be a ton of visual effects work to do.
The Star Wars Episode 7 release date won’t roll around for another 13 months. The film is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide in December 2015.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great name on many levels. For starters, the Episode 7 title reflects the years-long wait Star Wars fans have had since the arguably horrid end to Episode 3. In addition, with JJ Abrams at the helm and George Lucas taking a backseat after selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney, the new name reflects fans’ pent-up hope for the franchise to return to its one-time greatness. JJ Abrams did wonders for Star Trek.
Perhaps most important with the new Star Wars Episode 7 title confirmed is its homage to the overall timeline. Episode 7 is reported to take place approximately 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. Judging by the title, things have perhaps pretty quiet since Darth Vader killed the Emperor and Luke tossed Daddy Anakin into the funeral pyre.
But that may just be a ruse. Various books and stories have indicated Han Solo and Princess Leia got married and had children after the events of Return of the Jedi. If so, that would put Luke’s nieces/nephews well into their 20s. Is one of them succumbing to the Dark Side? Is something cooking with Leia herself? How about Luke, who already had begun the transition to his father’s mechanical self with a prosthetic hand at the end of Empire Strikes back?
Ahh, the theories. Regardless, it’s great to see Star Wars Episode 7 wrapping photography. Surely Harrison Ford is happy too, as he broke his leg getting out of the Millennium Falcon during shooting and forced a slight delay to some of the filming. The cast reportedly celebrated its wrap party last weekend, though there were a few days left of shooting at Pinewood Studios near London.
Shooting for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has spanned the globe, from the deserts of Abu Dhabi to the forests of the UK. Its cast includes original Star Wars vets Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca). Other new faces include Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie, the latter of whom is best known from her role in Game of Thrones.
