Production has begun on Star Wars Episode IX. That means the movie has a script and if it has a script, that script must have a title. What a new Star Wars movie is going to be called is always an interesting and fun question as it gives a hint, though not always an obvious one, about the story the new entry is going to tell. There is already a Reddit thread full of potential ideas for titles, but one of them might be on to something. What do you think of Star Wars: The New Order as a title?
Of all the options and suggestions that are being posted to Reddit, this one, coming from a suspiciously now-deleted account, is enticing for a number of reasons. First of all, it has a number of potential meanings that could all be part of the new film. The First Order now has a new leader in Kylo Ren, which will certainly change it in some very important ways. With Star Wars: The Last Jedi's final moments focusing on the fact that there are other Force users in the galaxy, it could mean that a new Jedi order will rise, led by Rey. In addition, one assumes that by the end of the film, and thus the end of the trilogy, and likely the entire saga, the battle will be over and there will be a new order to the galaxy.
Beyond that, A New Order echoes the subtitle that was given to the original Star Wars film, A New Hope, which gives some nice symmetry to the whole thing and feels like something the franchise would do. A new order in the galaxy could ultimately fulfill the new hope of the original film, giving the story a definitive conclusion.
There's also the metatextual element of the title. The new Star Wars films have, in large part, been about Disney's own attempt to relaunch the popular Star Wars franchise. The main characters are people who grew up hearing the stories about the Rebel Alliance and the Empire and have now been saddled with the responsibility of carrying on that legacy, just like Disney. Star Wars: The Last Jedi was about whether or not that past should be embraced or destroyed in favor of something new. While the ultimate argument the movie makes is that history should not be forgotten, it's also clear that it needs to go in its own direction. The New Order could be the new world of Star Wars, the one Disney is trying to build.
Most of the rumors about new titles have been wrong when it came to the last two entries in this trilogy, but some people actually had it right, so it's possible this one could turn out to be the real deal. Even if it's not the right title, it's certainly a good one.
