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

By Rick Marshall 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.

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

What’s next for Star Wars after The Book of Boba Fett

Temuera Morrison in a scene from The Book of Boba Fett.

Star Wars spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett wrapped up its much-anticipated first season with an explosive finale that brought together key characters introduced across multiple live-action and animated series as well as tie-in novels and other stories set within the sci-fi saga. And with the dust beginning to settle, Star Wars fans still have plenty to look forward to as the franchise begins its next chapter.

The seventh and final episode of The Book of Boba Fett season 1 tied up plenty of story arcs while establishing a new status quo for some characters, and to the surprise of no one, also teased a bit of what's to come for season 3 of The Mandalorian and other Star Wars projects on the horizon. From confirmed films and shows to the stuff of rumors and speculation, here's what we know about what's next for the Star Wars universe after The Book of Boba Fett.

Entertainment

The Book of Boba Fett trailer dives into the Star Wars underworld

A scene from The Book of Boba Fett featuring the titular bounty hunter.

Boba Fett instantly captured the imaginations of Star Wars fans when he made his first appearance on the big screen in The Empire Strikes Back. Now, Boba Fett will finally headline his own series at the end of this year when Disney+ and Lucasfilm unleash The Book of Boba Fett.

The Mandalorian season 2 reintroduced Boba Fett nearly four decades after his infamous death in Return of the Jedi. The show quickly reminded fans why they loved Boba Fett, as he lived up to his legend and teamed up with the Mandalorian to rescue Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) from the Imperial Remnant. In the post-credits scene from season 2, Boba and his new associate, Fennec Shand, invaded Jabba's palace and forcefully took over his criminal empire. That's where things begin in The Book of Boba Fett's first trailer. Boba and Fennec have a new approach to ruling the underworld: Where Jabba led with fear, they want to lead with respect. Unfortunately, not everyone is receptive to their proposals.

Entertainment

Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker: Everything you need to know

The-Rise-of-Skywalker-final-trailer

There's been plenty of speculation about the future of the Star Wars franchise since 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi hit theaters, and now the premiere of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is here The final, full-length trailer for The Rise of Skywalker offered some intriguing hints as to how the Skywalker saga will conclude, including a brief scene from an epic space battle featuring more than a few iconic ships, and now that we've seen it, we've got our own opinions that don't necessarily follow the critics' consensus.

The Rise of Skywalker brings back director J.J. Abrams to close out this arc of the iconic sci-fi saga after he helmed 2015's franchise-relaunching Star Wars: Episode VII -- The Force Awakens. While Star Wars: Episode IX is now available for your viewing pleasure, if you've yet to see the film, here's everything to know ahead of the action.
Jedi mind tricks
In a special event hosted in the game Fortnite, Disney released another clip from the upcoming film.