Lucasfilm has applied for a trademark on “Star Wars: Rivals.” Here’s what we know: Next to nothing.
Image: Lucasfilm
We were alerted to the existence of Star Wars: Rivals through this tweet from Max Palas:
Lucasfilm Trademarks “Star Wars: Rivals”.
New animation series?#StarWars pic.twitter.com/M80wBrwkBE
— Max Palas (@maxpalas) February 28, 2017
So we made our own search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and here’s what we know: There are two trademark applications pending, filed by Lucasfilm and Disney, for the phrase “Star Wars: Rivals”. Both have a filing date of 23 February 2017.
One of the applications is for “Education and entertainment services”, which is pretty broad. The other is both more and less specific, since the category it fits in includes:
Apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; audio books; audio recordings; audio and visual recordings; video game software; computer programs and software; downloadable electronic publications; downloadable game software; downloadable mobile applications; consumer electronics and accessories therefor; eyeglasses and sunglasses and accessories therefor; binoculars; decorative magnets; graduated rulers; microphones; helmets; flotation vests; protective face masks not for medical purposes; snorkels; swimming goggles; swim masks.
Which means that, yes, Rivals could be a new animated show. It could be a video game. It could be a short film, a TV show, a full-length movie… or a decorative magnet.
Both applications included this very revealing image:
A new animated show makes sense only because Rebels has had a momentum to it lately that signals that it’s going to end relatively soon, so a replacement being in the works makes sense. Of course, it would also be bit strange for Disney to create a new series that has a name that sounds so similar to the show it’s replacing.
But other than that, the filings don’t actually narrow things down. We reached out to Lucasfilm but had not heard back at time of writing. For now, though, we’re betting on swim goggles.
Additional reporting: Germain Lussier.