3 Star Wars spin-offs planned, and Episode VII could be titled ‘The Ancient Fear’

By Rick Marshall Published May 7, 2014

lego star wars droid tales animated series — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The core cast of the upcoming Star Wars movie was officially announced last week, but the hunger for more news regarding Episode VII of the franchise (and the greater sci-fi saga) hasn’t abated.

At least three more Star Wars movies are planned in addition to the upcoming trilogy, according to Disney. Previously, it was implied that two standalone projects were likely, with each film providing an “origin story” of sorts for popular characters from the franchise. Han Solo and bounty hunter Boba Fett were reported to be the subjects of the solo projects, with Yoda also rumored as a potential subject.

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Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed plans for three films outside of the “Episode” chapters of the series during a conference call reporting on the company’s earnings in the second quarter of the fiscal year. Rumors suggest that the standalone films will alternate years with the trilogy installments, making it likely that the first film will premiere in 2016 (a year after Episode VII hits theaters). Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg were confirmed to each be writing one of the “origin” films.

While the news regarding the three spin-off films comes straight from Disney, another report making the rounds is decidedly less official — but still intriguing.

According to Ain’t It Cool News, the working title for Star Wars, Episode VII is “The Ancient Fear.” The site reports that, although it couldn’t get confirmation from director J.J. Abrams or Disney (no surprise there), the title refers to Max Von Sydow’s character in the film. Of course, this remains entirely unofficial, especially since working titles — even if it is true — rarely end up as the official title of a production.

Still, the rumor offers yet another bone for speculating fans to chew on.

Star Wars, Episode VII is currently scheduled to hit theaters December 18, 2015. The film stars John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. Franchise veterans Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker will also reprise their roles from the original trilogy.

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