Post by Borys Kit on Jul 26, 2004 22:49:34 GMT
SAN DIEGO (Hollywood Reporter) - Next year's third and final instalment of the "Star Wars" prequels will be called "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," the film's producers have said.
The name was unveiled on Saturday for 6,500 comic-book fans at the 35th annual Comic-Con International in San Diego. Many in the audience jumped out of their seats, thunderously screaming in joy. Some even gave one another hugs.
For the uninitiated, the evil Sith are sworn enemies of the Jedi, the saber-wielding knights whose numbers include Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas reignited the lucrative franchise in 1999 with "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace", which grossed $431 million (235 million pounds) in the United States.
In 2002, he released "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones", which ended up with $311 million. While both were hotly anticipated, their screenplay and acting shortcomings did underwhelm many hardcore fans.
The new film, set for release May 19, marks the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, a.k.a Darth Vader, and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.