Rian Johnson Teases Why ‘Star Wars 8’ Is Called ‘The Last Jedi’

There has been a tidal wave of debate and discussion surrounding the title of Star Wars: The Last Jedi ever since it was announced earlier this year. Fans were immediately taken aback by the suggestion that the Jedi might be dying out, while Luke Skywalker’s insistence in the trailer that he wanted them to do just that only exacerbated concerns.

Over the last few days, we’ve been getting more and more information about the impending blockbuster, but when it comes to the actual title for the film, and the reasons why it was eventually decided that the film would be called The Last Jedi, the creative team is keeping their cards firmly to their chest. Someone who appears to be rather enjoying stoking the flames surrounding the discussions on the title is Kathleen Kennedy, and the Lucasfilm president has now insisted that the ambiguity surrounding it are well and truly intentional.

“That’s actually what’s interesting about the title, and very intentionally ambiguous.”

During the same interview, writer and director Rian Johnson also looked to provide some backstory on how he actually dreamt up the title in the first place. But rather than it emerging during the development of his script, Rian Johnson confessed that he actually had that title in his head way before he sat down to write.

The Brick and Looper director actually thought that the title of Star War: The Last Jedi was rather obvious. So much so that he had convinced himself one of the myriads of fake titles that the internet threw up over the course of the film’s production would eventually guess right.

“That was the very first thing, when I had not even written the script. When I was coming up with the story, I had that title. So I’ve had that title in my head now for years. I was so terrified that someone would guess it—it seemed like an obvious title. Every time a fake title would leak, I would hold my breath and click on the link and be like, ‘Oh no, did they get it?’ But luckily, we were able to put it out clean.”

Rian Johnson then started to tease details regarding what the title of Star Wars: The Last Jedi alludes to. Of course, Rian Johnson stopped way short of actually giving away any precious details or spoilers regarding Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and instead insisted that fans will only be able to discover exactly what it means once they have watched the film.

His comments also suggested that the title will probably refer to more than one aspect of the film.

“I never thought that [whether the title references Luke or Rey] was going to be the question. I guess partially because the answer—and this is going to sound like I’m being coy, but I swear I’m not—is, you do have to see the movie. It’s not as simple as saying, ‘It’s this person—ha-ha!’ It is a little more complicated than that. I guess I can say this, that when—no, I’m not going to say anything… One would think, let’s say this: that at the end of Episode VII it refers to Luke, because of the notion that this religion has died out and he is the last of them.”

Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy made the above remarks to Vanity Fair, as they looked to remind the plethora of blockbusters that will be released over the coming summer months that the biggest film of 2017 won’t arrive until the end of the year. We’ll finally get to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi in all of its glory and find out what its title actually refers to when it’s released on December 15.

[Featured Image by Lucasfilm]