Mark Hamill Likes the New ‘Star Wars’ Title’s Samurai Movie Roots
We finally know what the title of the next Star Wars movie is, and it’s a pretty great one. “The Last Jedi” is full of drama and mystery, giving nothing away while implying a whole lot. As it turns out, the movie’s stars like the title just as much as the rest of us do, and Mark Hamill had a pretty great reaction to it.
Apparently Hamill had known the title since sometime during the filming of the movie, but obviously had to keep it on the down-low because of Lucasfilm’s secrecy. “They have us so jacked up with paranoia over leaks,” he told the Associated Press. “But that’s the way of the world. It’s funny, because back when we were making the original, nobody cared.”
When AP asked him what he personally thought of the title, he said he dug it: “It’s got a real samurai — you know, it’s straightforward and minimalist, and I like that.”
It’s true, George Lucas’ Star Wars series has close ties to the classic films of samurai movie master Akira Kurosawa — the beginning of A New Hope echoes the beginning of The Hidden Fortress, with the story told from the perspective of two peasants (droids) who provide us all the background we need for the events to come. And you can obviously see the samurai influence with the Jedi themselves: a practically religious order of warriors in robes who fight for causes they believe in. And, I mean, The Last Jedi? The Last Samurai? Eh? Eh? See what I’m getting at? Wonder if this means Tom Cruise will cameo.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters December 15.