Ever since it was first announced that the Star Wars brand had been purchased by Disney, we’ve only been given minor breadcrumbs regarding what to expect from the future of our beloved Galaxy Far, Far Away. After months of searching, Lucasfilm defied the ongoing battle between Star Trek and Star Wars fans – by hiring J.J. Abrams as the director that would helm the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars: Episode 7. In the months since, we’ve had a look at the cast and heard unofficial rumors about the film’s storyline; yet, even though principle photography on the movie is now complete, we still only have vague ideas regarding what to expect.


However, now that filming is done, Lucasfilm and Abrams have shared one of the most anticipated elements of the forthcoming production, the Episode 7 subtitle “The Force Awakens”.

The official Star Wars site shared the news – coupled with a brief congratulations to the filmmaking team for finishing the principle photography stage.

Unfortunately, the title was the only new piece of information provided – leaving fans, and industry insiders, to speculate what exactly the title means in the grand scheme of things, especially given that Episode 7 is only Part 1 of a new trilogy and the first step in six movie slate (that includes three spin-off films).

Nevertheless, prior Star Wars subtitles have always provided a solid foundation for debate – given that they are usually a relatively straightforward summary of the basic setup for each chapter:

Star Wars – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars – Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars – Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars – Episode 4: A New Hope
Star Wars – Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars – Episode 6: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars – Episode 7: The Force Awakens
Star Wars – Episode 8: TBD
Star Wars – Episode 9: TBD
Still, the notion that the Force “Awakens”, certainly seems to back-up prior reports that Jedis and Sith Lords are no longer out in the open in the Star Wars galaxy (a story beat that has been somewhat explored already in the new animated series Star Wars: Rebels.

Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18th, 2015.

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