Fans freak out over Star Wars' 'hidden message'

There's a hidden message in the new Star Wars title - according to certain fans. Photo / Lucas Film

The full Star Wars: Episode VIII title was finally revealed this week, sending fans into meltdown.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit cinemas in December, and in an interview on Monday at the Sundance Film Festival, Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill said he liked that the title was "straightforward" and "minimalist."

And according to some eagle-eyed fans, it also has a double meaning, linking to the title of the last film, The Force Awakens.

Taken together, the two titles form a sentence: THE FORCE AWAKENS THE LAST JEDI.

Some fans are eagerly wondering whether it's a coincidence or part of a Star Wars masterplan:

Love how Ep.VII and Ep.VIII titles make a sentence: The Force awakens the last Jedi. #TheLastJedi #StarWars

— Ryan Malin (@BrushYourTeeth) January 23, 2017

What if these new Star Wars titles form a sentence?

The Force awakens the last Jedi...

...from what? For What?

— Luke R. Harper (@larpediem) January 25, 2017

... while others couldn't resist speculating how future Star Wars instalments might complete the sentence:

pic.twitter.com/cb4ceD93Vm

— SAMabie (@anoddgeography) January 26, 2017

Ep VII: The Force Awakens
Ep VIII: The Last Jedi
Ep IX: From His Long Nap

— Kris (@5kl) January 23, 2017

Writer-director Rian Johnson has previously said Episode VIII will start right where The Force Awakens left off.

The Force Awakens chronicled Daisy Ridley's Rey discovering her powers with the Force.

But it ended ominously with a withdrawn Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on a remote island. If there's to be just one Jedi left, Luke's days could be numbered.