The title for “Star Wars: Episode VIII” has finally been revealed. Disney and Lucasfilm announced on Monday that the next chapter in the space opera saga will be named “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
“The Last Jedi,” written and directed by Rian Johnson, immediately follows the events of 2015’s smash hit “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
The film stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. The cast also includes the late Carrie Fisher, who died on Dec. 27. The actress, who played Princess Leia Organa, had wrapped shooting before her death. Lucasfilm said earlier this month that it won’t digitally recreate Fisher in upcoming movies. Leia was also originally slated to appear in the ninth movie, which begins filming in 2018. Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern, and Kelly Marie Tran will also appear in “The Last Jedi.”
Johnson said in a recent interview that the epic will explore the motivations of the hero trio — Rey, Finn, and Poe — and Rey’s connection with Luke.
“I wanted to know more about each of them, and that doesn’t just mean information or backstory,” Johnson told USA Today. “Figure out what’s the most difficult thing each of them could be challenged with now — let’s throw that at them and dig into what really makes them tick by seeing how they handle that.”
The pic is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, and executive produced by “The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” hits theaters on Dec. 15, 2017.
