It’s official. Star Wars: Episode VIII is titled The Last Jedi, according to an official announcement on StarWars.com.
The Last Jedi shares its title with a popular novel set sometime after Emperor Palpatine’s Order 66. Jax Pavan is the last Jedi, and, with his droid I-5YQ, the two cause problems for the Empire while evading the clutches of Darth Vader. The novel is written by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff.
Episode VIII will be written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman. J.J. Abrams will serve as an executive producer alongside Jason McGatlin and Tom Karnowski.
Among his directorial work, Looper is perhaps Johnson’s most popular big-screen product. The 2012 film grossed $176.5 million worldwide. Additionally, the 43-year-old director also directed three episodes of Breaking Bad: Fly in Season 3, Fifty-One in Season 5 and Ozymandius in Season 5. Johnson has won 18 of his 32 nominations, including the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series by the Directors Guild of America for his work on Fifty-One.
Episode VIII is slated for a Dec. 15, 2017 release.
