With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s theatrical release so very close, the legions of fans of that galaxy far, far away will soon turn their attention to director Rian Johnson’s follow-up to J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and some fresh new rumors relating to the film have already begun to pervade the web. Up to this point we’ve all been referring to the movie as Star Wars: Episode VIII, but now, thanks to a recent trademark filing at the European Union Intellectual Property Office, we may finally have an official title: Star Wars: Forces of Destiny.
First off, it’s important to point out that these titles don’t always relate to a studio’s big screen projects, and more often than not the actual movie will wind up being called something completely different – that said, on occasion they have panned out, and it’s worth noting that this particular title is being trademarked for a whole host of tie-in merchandise, including toys, games, clothing, Christmas decorations… you name it.
What gives me pause, however, is that pun-y, overly cheesy title, and I also find it highly unlikely that Disney/Lucasfilm would use the word “force” twice in a row like that. Then again, a lot of people scoffed at The Force Awakens too when they first heard it, so you really never know.
This certainly needs to be taken with the requisite pinch of salt for the time being, but if Forces of Destiny did turn out to be the official title of Star Wars: Episode VIII, how would you feel about it? Drop a comment below and let us know.