‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Finally Has a Title: ‘The Force Awakens’

We can finally stop calling the new Star Wars movie Star Wars: Episode VII. On the very day that shooting on the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel wrapped up, the folks as Lucasfilm and Disney have finally given up a real name.

That name is The Force Awakens.

I must say, it's a pretty solid title. Not as good as The Empire Strikes back or Attack of the Clones, but not nearly as bad as A New Hope or The Phantom Menace.

But let's break this thing down a bit, shall we? The implication of The Force Awakens is that the Force has been asleep. And indeed we already know this to be true. From the time the Galactic Republic falls into the hands of the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith to the time we meet grizzled space smuggler Han Solo in A New Hope, people had stopped believing in and had largely forgotten about the Force. The very idea has been suppressed by the Empire, much like religions were suppressed by pretty much every authoritarian regime of the 20th century. (Hey, do you think George Lucas did that on purpose?)

Of course, in Episode VI, the Jedi returns. But the widespread belief in the Force has not been re-established. So one can presume Luke and Leia probably have probably spent the last 30 years going from star system to star system, trying to recruit believers. (Hey, do you think George Lucas meant to establish Luke as some kind of pseudo-Christ?)

So The Force Awakens sounds to me like the movie is going to be all about the revival of the old order and re-establishment of the Jedi.

But we're going to have to wait and see. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens doesn't hit theaters until December 18, 2015.